Dr. Edward Schaeffer on current urologic research at Northwestern University

In this video, Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD, gives an overview of current clinical research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Schaeffer is chair and Harold Binstein Professor of Urology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois.

Transcription:

Please discuss current research by urologists at Northwestern University.

Northwestern Madison's urology program has a very robust clinical research enterprise. We really focus on enhancing the outcomes for our patients that we treat across a broad spectrum of different urologic diseases. We have a clinical trial unit that was built and enables us to implement clinical trials in different spaces: individuals with kidney stones, individuals with BPH and LUTS-like symptoms, and individuals with cancer. Within the cancer space, I am the PI of a couple of national trials. These are multicenter trials that are exploring ways to optimize prostate biopsy in terms of safety as well as quality. And so we have 2 ongoing prospective clinical trials in the prostate biopsy space specifically studying differences between transrectal and transperineal prostate biopsy. We're super excited about those. [We have] 16 institutions looking across the spectrum of individuals who either may have prostate cancer or who have prostate cancer and are being followed in surveillance. In addition, we are now just launching a new clinical trial in different techniques in the surgical approach to prostatectomy, with the focus on ensuring optimal outcomes from a quality perspective but also enhancing the recovery of patients. So 3 active multicenter clinical trials really led out of Northwestern, but that include other outstanding sites, including Hopkins, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Cornell, etc. And then more broadly, within the cancer program, we have clinical trials for men who have new diagnoses of prostate cancer who need management, men who have more advanced prostate cancers that need management. Additionally, we have a super robust clinical trial portfolio led by Dr. Josh Meeks, who I think is one of the country's leading experts in bladder cancer; specifically, ways to optimize intravesical therapies. And so he's really leading several of those trials and also trials in men who have a new diagnosis of locally aggressive bladder cancer. Again, the portfolio of trials that we offer is really reflective of the breadth and the excellence of the different clinician leads that we have within the department, including our cancer physicians and also our physicians who focus on lower urinary tract symptoms, kidney stone disease, neurourology, and neurogenic bladders, etc.

This transcript was edited for clarity.