Dr. Chandler Park

Dr. Joshua Sabai spoke with Dr. Chandler Park about the latest advances in kidney cancer, highlighting clinical trials that are shaping care for patients.

RAMPART Trial Highlights Kidney Cancer Treatment Options 

Dr. Joshua Sabari, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of High Reliability Organization Initiatives at Perlmutter Cancer Center, recently spoke with Dr. Chandler Park, a medical oncologist specializing in Genitourinary Medical Oncology at the Norton Healthcare Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, about the latest advances in kidney cancer treatment. Their conversation highlighted recent clinical trials that are shaping care and improving outcomes for patients with high-risk kidney cancer.

A major focus was the RAMPART trial, an international, phase three study examining the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with resected stage three renal cell carcinoma. In this trial, patients received either durvalumab alone or in combination with Imjudo (tremelimumab), a CTLA-4 inhibitor. The study demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival for the combination therapy group, showing that adjuvant immunotherapy can reduce the risk of recurrence in high-risk patients.

Park emphasized that these findings reinforce the importance of early intervention following surgery. Patients with stage three disease, high tumor grade, or evidence of minimal residual metastatic disease may benefit from adjuvant immunotherapy. “If you or a loved one is diagnosed with early-stage kidney cancer, it’s crucial to discuss these options with a medical oncologist,” Park said. “Urologists can perform surgery, but oncologists guide the therapies that can prevent recurrence and improve survival.”

The conversation also touched on metastatic kidney cancer treatments. There are now multiple first-line options combining checkpoint inhibitors with other targeted therapies, such as Keytruda (pembrolizumab) plus Lenvima (lenvatinib) or Cabometyx (cabozantinib)-based regimens. Early data suggest that adding novel agents may further improve response rates and survival, offering hope for longer life and better quality of life for patients.

Both doctors stressed the importance of understanding biomarkers, exploring clinical trial options, and seeking second opinions to ensure patients access the most cutting-edge care. With these advances, the landscape for kidney cancer treatment continues to evolve, offering more hope and effective strategies for patients and their families.

Both doctors discussed the EMBARK trial, which evaluated patients with nonmetastatic or biochemically recurrent prostate cancer, 

“Breaking Down Advancements in Prostate Cancer Care,” by Dr. Joshua K. Sabari, et al. CURE; Nov. 14, 2025. https://www.curetoday.com/view/breaking-down-advancements-in-prostate-cancer-care

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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Following the 2025 ESMO Congress, Dr. Joshua Saba sat down with Dr. Chandler Park to discuss recent advances in prostate cancer care.

Breaking Down Advancements in Prostate Cancer Care

Following the 2025 European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, Dr. Joshua Sabari, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of High Reliability Organization Initiatives at Perlmutter Cancer Center, sat down with Dr. Chandler Park, a medical oncologist specializing in Genitourinary Medical Oncology at the Norton Healthcare Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, to discuss recent advances in prostate cancer care.

Their conversation focused on the EMBARK trial, which evaluated Xtandi (enzalutamide), both as monotherapy and in combination with leuprolide (Lupron), for patients with nonmetastatic or biochemically recurrent prostate cancer.

Park described the EMBARK trial as a practice-changing, phase 3 study that addressed a critical unmet need for men whose prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels rise within nine months following surgery or radiation. The goal was to determine whether early intervention with enzalutamide-based therapy could prevent disease progression and improve survival outcomes. According to Park, the results demonstrated a significant overall survival benefit for patients treated with the combination of enzalutamide and leuprolide, as compared with leuprolide alone.

Importantly, he highlighted that this study is the first phase 3 trial to validate the use of intermittent therapy in this patient population. Patients in the combination arm received treatment for approximately 36 to 37 weeks. If their PSA dropped below 0.2, they were able to stop therapy. On average, PSA levels remained suppressed for 18 to 24 months, allowing many men to enjoy extended treatment-free intervals without side effects. This approach, Park explained, is now considered a new standard of care for patients with biochemical recurrence after radiation or radical prostatectomy.

Sabari concluded the discussion by asking how common biochemical recurrence is after definitive therapy. Park noted that, importantly, 40% to 50% of patients experience recurrence following surgery or radiation, emphasizing the need for multidisciplinary evaluation and individualized treatment planning.

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Experts highlight perioperative Padcev plus Keytruda in bladder cancer, showing potential practice-changing results from ESMO 2025 for patients.

Experts Discuss New Advances in Bladder Cancer Following ESMO 2025 

Following the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Congress held in Berlin, Germany, we sat down with leading experts in oncology to discuss the latest advances in bladder cancer research and treatment. Joining us for this discussion were Dr. Joshua Sabari, Dr. Petros Grivas and Dr. Chandler Park.

Sabari opened the conversation by introducing the panel and setting the stage for a discussion focused on recent perioperative and adjuvant trials in bladder cancer. Grivas highlighted the exciting developments from the 

, which enrolled patients with localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer eligible for surgical resection. In this study, patients who were cisplatin-ineligible received radical surgery alone or perioperative therapy with Padcev (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) plus Keytruda (pembrolizumab).

Patients receiving the combination therapy underwent three cycles of neoadjuvant treatment, followed by surgery, and then up to eight cycles of pembrolizumab postoperatively. The results were striking, the experts emphasized. Grivas noted that while toxicity was consistent with expectations with the combination, only about 60% of patients completed the adjuvant therapy phase, prompting discussion about the necessity of adjuvant therapy in all patients.

Park elaborated on the clinical significance of these outcomes for patients and their families. He explained that a path CR means no cancer is found in the tissue after surgery, which is a big improvement compared with past results. This milestone, Park emphasized, reflects the potential of modern perioperative therapies to meaningfully impact patient outcomes.

Both Grivas and Park underscored the importance of ongoing research into the combination therapy to optimize therapy sequencing and improve tolerability while maximizing efficacy. Overall, the insights shared by these experts demonstrate how recent trials presented at ESMO 2025 may translate into meaningful changes in clinical practice.

Sabari serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He is also the director of High Reliability Organization Initiatives at Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Park is a medical oncologist specializing in Genitourinary Medical Oncology at the Norton Healthcare Institute in Louisville, Kentucky.

Grivas is a professor in the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutch. He serves as medical director for both Local and Regional Outreach as well as the International Program at Fred Hutch. In addition, he holds a professorship in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Chandler Park sat down for an interview with CURE® to discuss the biggest takeaway from the 2025 ASCO GU Symposium in terms of prostate cancer therapy.

Xtandi and Talzenna Therapy Shows Promise in Advanced Prostate Cancer

Dr. Chandler Park, a medical oncologist of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, at the Norton Healthcare Institute, in Louisville, Kentucky, sat down for an interview with CURE® to discuss the biggest takeaway from the 

2025 Annual ASCO Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium

The TALAPRO-2 study, a large phase 3 trial presented at the meeting, evaluated the combination of Xtandi (enzalutamide) and Talzenna (talazoparib) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, he explained. The investigative agent demonstrated a 20% reduction in cancer progression regardless of BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation status, with potential future FDA approval, according to the expert.

Read more from our interview with Park on additional 

takeaways from the meeting encompassing bladder and kidney cancer

, as well as our conversation with him on 

the importance of precision medicine in oncology

[An important] study that is in the prostate cancer field is the TALAPRO-2 study. The [trial looked at] patients with prostate cancer when they're diagnosed. There are two types of prostate cancer: one is called metastatic-hormone sensitive prostate cancer, and that means that these patients are still sensitive to testosterone, so we give them testosterone blockers — kind of like estrogen blockers for patients with breast cancer; but the more aggressive type is called castrate-resistant prostate cancer. This [diagnosis] is very tough and we want to find new treatments for this.

In TALAPRO-2, patients got randomized to Xtandi, which is considered a great standard of care treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, and the other arm received Xtandi plus Talzenna, which is considered a PARP inhibitor. Now, PARP inhibitors are something that we might all hear about when we treat for patients in ovarian cancer, breast cancer and pancreatic cancer, and the key is they need these genetic markers called BRCA1 and BRCA2. It was very similar in the prostate cancer world, where patients had to have either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations; these mutations could be either in the germline or the somatic.

Germline is whenever a buccal swab or blood check [is done] to see if [patients] inherited BRCA1/BRCA2 genes. Now, what's somatic mutation? Imagine if I have a black mark on my hand, and that mark is melanoma. If they take a biopsy of this black part of my hand, and they take a biopsy of my normal hand, the DNA of that cancer is completely different from the skin, and that is called somatic mutation. If there's a BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation inside the cancer, then you could qualify for a PARP inhibitor. Now, with all that said, that is considered a select patient population; we must see if the patients qualify for a PARP inhibitor in this study.

What makes this study, as we considered it, a highlight at ASCO GU, is they didn't look at that in terms of randomizing patients to the study, they took all comers. It was close to 800 patients, a large phase 3 trial, in which patients got randomized to Xtandi versus Xtandi plus Talzenna, and there was a 20% decrease in terms of the cancer.

A lot is based upon the molecular subgroups, but it is encouraging that if a patient shows up with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer [we could refer to this]. Although I recommend everybody [complete testing], not everybody practices in the big city. Some people practice in rural America, and they might not have access [to germline and somatic testing]. So if they don't have access, and these oncologists see patients… [they should focus on family history of cancer], as there might be some kind of genetic concern for cancer. In these situations, I would consider this based upon the ASCO GU study. Now, it is not FDA approved yet, but I anticipate it will be, so we'll cross our fingers.

Those are the three impactful studies that I see for patient care [following the ASCO GU Symposium].

Dr. Chandler Park

RAMPART Trial Highlights Kidney Cancer Treatment Options

Breaking Down Advancements in Prostate Cancer Care

Experts Discuss New Advances in Bladder Cancer Following ESMO 2025

Xtandi and Talzenna Therapy Shows Responses in Advanced Prostate Cancer

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