Medical Services and Centers
Center for Urologic Oncology
Dr. Norm D. Smith, Director
The Center for Urologic Oncology has a longstanding tradition of providing state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary approaches to the evaluation and management of the urologic cancers with recognized experts specializing in each branch of cancer care. All aspects of patient care are addressed by means of patient education and counseling, outstanding nursing care, nutritional support, and careful consideration of related social issues to provide a seamless, compassionate, and individualized approach to the management of each patient.
Program Activities
Patients with urologic cancers of the prostate, bladder, kidney, testis, and related organs are evaluated and managed with emphasis on an integrated, multidisciplinary and stage-specific approach. All of the division members are recognized leaders in their field of expertise, and all potential therapeutic options including observation (no active treatment), surgical excision, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy are considered and discussed with each patient. Management options are discussed each week at our urologic oncology patient management conference, allowing for additional critical input and crystallization of the treatment plan. A full range of conventional and advanced or novel treatments are provided, including:
minimally invasive surgery for a wide variety of urologic cancers;
radical cystectomy and continent urinary diversion (bladder replacement);
nerve sparing techniques for cancers of the prostate, bladder, or testis;
nephron-sparing surgery and renal cryosurgery;
state of the art systemic treatments (chemotherapy or immunotherapy) for advanced or metastatic urologic cancers;
novel anti-angiogenic approaches to the management of advanced urologic cancers;
conventional conformal radiation therapy and brachytherapy (seed implants); and
access to a wide variety of national and international cancer treatment protocols that are useful for patients with aggressive or advanced urologic cancers.
The integrated approach with input from all related services allows for the formulation of an appropriate treatment plan individualized for each patient based upon tumor stage, medical condition, and patient preferences. Nutritional, social and religious, and pain management issues are also addressed through outstanding ancillary services in an effort to optimize patient care and improve responses to therapy. Expertise with the related urologic issues of voiding function, fertility, and sexual function is readily available for all patients.
The activities of the Center for Urologic Oncology serve as a vehicle for patient education and community awareness about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of urologic cancers, and enhance the education of fellows, residents and medical students interested in this field.
Program Leaders
Dr. Kozlowski directs the Center for Urologic Oncology, which he co-founded in 1988, and is Professor of Urology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine as well as a member of the R.H. Lurie Cancer Center. He completed residency training in urology and general surgery at the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University and is board certified in both specialties. Dr. Kozlowski is an established leader in the field of urologic oncology with expertise in the management of cancers of the prostate, bladder, kidney, and testes.
Dr. Kuzel is Associate Professor of Medicine (Division of Hematology/Oncology) at the Feinberg School. He is board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and oncology and oversees the management of patients with advanced cancers of the bladder, kidney, and testis.
Dr. Bergan is Assistant Professor of Medicine (Division of Hematology/Oncology) at the Feinberg School and directs Northwestern's experimental therapeutics program, which is dedicated to bringing much needed novel treatment approaches to patients with advanced urologic cancers, particularly prostate cancer.
Dr. Kalapurakal is Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Feinberg School and specializes in both conventional and new radiation treatment approaches for patients with urologic cancers. His expertise with brachytherapy (seed implants) offers patients an appealing alternative way to receive definitive local radiation therapy and he is pioneering a promising combination of radiation therapy and hyperthermia to improve local control of advanced prostate or bladder cancers.
Dr. Pins is Associate Professor of Pathology at the Feinberg School with expertise in the urologic cancers. He did his pathology residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital before joining the Northwestern Faculty several years ago.
Research Activities
The Departments of Urology, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and Pathology are recognized leaders in clinical and molecular research related to the urologic cancers. These research activities are facilitated by the synergistic interaction of experienced researchers and clinician/scientists. Active basic science research protocols in the Center for Urologic Oncology and at Northwestern University are:
the impact of stromal/epithelial interactions in the regulation of BPH and prostate cancer (Drs. James M. Kozlowski and Chung Lee);
hormone responsive genes and their role in prostate cancer (Dr. Zhou Wang);
TGF-beta, nerve growth factors, and other growth factors that regulate prostate cancer development and progression (Drs. Chung Lee, Kevin T. McVary, and Carol Podlasek);
the regulation of angiogenesis in prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer and anti-angiogenic treatments for these malignancies (Drs. Gerald A. Soff and Olga Volpert); and
chemoprevention for prostate cancer (Drs. Peter Gann and Michael Pins).
In addition, the Center for Urologic Oncology provides access to a number of important clinical trials for patients with cancer in an effort to improve management of these malignancies. Many of these trials provide much-needed novel treatment approaches for patients with poor prognosis cancers that have failed conventional treatments. Others provide access to state-of-the-art treatments for earlier stage cancers. A variety of important outcome studies for prostate cancer (led primarily by Dr. Charles Bennett) are also underway. All such trials have passed the rigorous standards of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and participation is voluntary - informed consent is required.
Each of the participating departments is part of the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation.
Department of Urology
675 North Saint Clair Street
Galter 20-150
Chicago, IL 60611-2927
(312) 695-8146
Fax (312) 695-7030
Department of Hematology/Oncology
675 North Saint Clair Street
Twenty-first Floor
Chicago, IL 60611-5970
(312) 695-0990
Fax (312) 695-1106
Department of Radiology
675 North Saint Clair Street
Fourth Floor
Chicago, IL 60611-5975
(312) 926-3521