UCLA launches new Institute of Urologic Oncology

UCLA has launched a patient-centered institute dedicated to developing therapies for the treatment of kidney, bladder, testicular, and prostate cancers.

The Institute of Urologic Oncology at UCLA challenges the traditional model of academic departments operating independently of each other, bringing a multidisciplinary team of scientists and physicians together as part of one organization, according to a UCLA statement. The goal is to expedite the development of new therapies for patients with genitourinary cancers.

The disciplines represented at the institute include urologic oncology, medical oncology, diagnostic and interventional radiology, pathology, nursing, basic sciences, and clinical trials. The new institute will allow experts from these areas to collaborate toward advances in medical and surgical treatments, including targeted therapies, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and minimally invasive and ablative surgery.

“This is a one-stop shop for patients. All the experts will be involved in their care, all working together,” said Arie Belldegrun, MD, the institute’s new director and professor of urology at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Our goal is to bring all our resources to the patient, rather than the patient going from office to office to see everyone they need to see.”