Our areas
of focus

Genitourinary

Prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer are three of the most common cancers in the U.S. For over a decade, Pfizer has been developing breakthroughs and providing treatments to help people who are living with genitourinary cancer.

Prostate

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the U.S., aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, and is a leading cause of death from cancer.² About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes.⁴ Black men are 70% more likely than White men to be diagnosed with prostate cancer.² In 2024, an estimated 300,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.² Though the death rate had been improving, lately this trend has slowed. This change is likely from an increase in later-stage diagnoses that are more difficult to treat.²

For over a decade, Pfizer has worked to help people living with prostate cancer. We have three currently approved medicines, including a medicine that can treat three different forms of prostate cancer. We are also investigating a new medicine that inhibits a specific protein (EZH2) in prostate cancer cells, which has potential in combination with the current leading medicine for prostate cancer.

Bladder

Bladder cancer is the 6th most common cancer in the U.S.⁵ In 2024, an estimated 80,000 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.² Men are four times more likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer than women.² Though the rates of both new bladder cancers and deaths from bladder cancer have been dropping in recent years, many people still face cancer progression and advanced bladder cancer is a common cause of cancer-related death.²

Pfizer offers a leading medicine in advanced bladder cancer, which has shown the potential to transform outcomes for patients with advanced disease when used in combination with an immunotherapy. We are continuing to study the potential for this medicine in earlier stages of bladder cancer, along with two additional new potential medicines, including an immunotherapy and an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).

Kidney

Kidney cancer (also known as renal cancer or renal cell adenocarcinoma) in the U.S. is the 6th most common cancer in men and the 9th in women.² In 2024, an estimated 80,000 new cases of kidney cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.² Men are twice as likely as women to be diagnosed with kidney cancer.² Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer, making up 90% of all cases.⁶ Though kidney cancer death rates have been declining, more people are being diagnosed with kidney cancer every year.⁷

Since the first introduction of a groundbreaking medicine 15 years ago, Pfizer has been changing the way advanced kidney cancer is treated. Currently, we have three approved treatments for kidney cancer.

Thoracic

Thoracic cancer is any cancer that develops within the chest, the most common being lung cancer – which is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. Pfizer offers multiple approved targeted medicines that treat several types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer.

Lung

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death among men and women, and it is the second most common cancer in the U.S.¹⁴ In 2024, an estimated 230,000 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. The two main types of lung cancer are non-small cell (NSCLC) and small cell (SCLC), with NSCLC being more common than SCLC.¹⁵ Lung cancer is difficult to treat because the cancer cells may have many different mutations and the medicines may no longer work as time goes on.

Pfizer offers multiple approved targeted medicines that treat several forms of NSCLC. We are also exploring a new antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) medicine in a Phase 3 trial for NSCLC.

Head & Neck

Head and neck cancers occur in the larynx, throat, lips, mouth, nose, and salivary glands.¹⁶ About 4% of all cancers in the U.S. are head and neck cancers.¹⁷ These cancers are more than twice as common among men than among women.¹⁷ In 2023, an estimated over 65,000 new cases of head and neck cancer were diagnosed in the U.S.¹⁷ There is a high need for additional effective treatment options for head and neck cancers.

Pfizer is conducting clinical trials to explore the potential of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) medicines for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, including the potential for combination therapy.

Cervical

Cervical cancer begins in the cervix, which is found in the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.¹⁸ In 2024, an estimated over 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.² Despite advances in vaccination and preventative screening practices, approximately 15% of patients present with metastatic disease at diagnosis.¹⁹ Among patients with initial diagnosis of early-stage disease, up to 61% will recur.¹⁹ Recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer is a devastating and mostly incurable disease with an urgent need for more treatment options. Patients who experience disease progression on or after first-line systemic therapy have limited effective therapy choices.^20-22

Pfizer offers a leading antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) medicine for cervical cancer, providing hope for patients who need a new treatment option. It is currently being studied for use in earlier lines of treatment.

Colorectal

Colorectal cancer (CRC) affects the large intestine (including the colon and rectum). They are part of the digestive system, which processes foods for energy and waste.^23,24 CRC is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the U.S.² In 2024, an estimated over 150,000 new cases of CRC will be diagnosed in the U.S.² Survival and the number of new cases have improved or stayed the same for adults 55 years of age and older.² However, adults younger than 55 years of age have had higher rates of CRC and a decrease in survival.²

Pfizer offers two approved targeted medicines for certain types of metastatic CRC. We are continuing to study our approved medicines for additional types of CRC, as well as a potential new antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) medicine for the treatment of CRC.

Skin

Melanoma skin cancer is the 5th most common cancer in the U.S. and causes the majority of skin cancer deaths.^25,26 Melanoma is considered dangerous because it is likely to invade nearby tissue and spread to other parts of the body if not caught and treated early. In 2024, an estimated 100,000 new cases of melanoma skin cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.² Gene changes (mutations) in melanoma may help the cancer grow; one such change is to the BRAF gene. About half of all metastatic melanoma have a mutation in the BRAF gene.²⁷ Though some groups of people have seen increasing rates of melanoma skin cancer, advancements in medicine have helped improve survival over the past decade.²

Pfizer offers a targeted combination medicine that fills an important need for people with advanced melanoma who are positive for a specific gene mutation.