San Francisco, CA – Researchers presented initial findings from OPTIMAS, a phase II randomized trial evaluating a de-escalation strategy for men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) who demonstrate an optimal response to initial treatment, at the 2026 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium this week.
The OPTIMAS trial, led by Dr. Umang Swami, is designed to assess whether patients achieving a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 0.2 ng/mL or less can safely continue treatment with less intensive therapies. The study’s decentralized design aims to broaden participation and reflect real-world clinical practice. The trial is currently ongoing, with results presented as a “trials-in-progress” poster.
The ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held February 26-28, 2026, in San Francisco and online, showcased a range of advancements in genitourinary oncology. The symposium’s program was curated by a committee led by Dr. Andrea B. Apolo of the National Cancer Institute, and Dr. Jose Karam of MD Anderson Cancer Center. A keynote address delivered by Dr. Eliezer Van Allen focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence in the field.
Alongside OPTIMAS, the symposium highlighted ten trials identified as potentially “practice-changing” across prostate, bladder, and renal cancer. These included research into moving beyond cisplatin-based chemotherapy for bladder cancer, with the KEYNOTE-B15 / EV-304 trial investigating a combination of enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab as a potential replacement for standard treatment in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. That trial builds on earlier findings demonstrating the superior overall survival benefit of enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab compared to platinum chemotherapy in metastatic urothelial carcinoma.
The symposium also featured over 850 abstracts covering a broad spectrum of genitourinary oncology research, including ongoing studies and clinical trials. Researchers and clinicians gathered to discuss emerging data and potential shifts in standards of care.
