What is your research focus?
Dr. Tewari: One of the areas I’m very excited about is real-time decision making using imaging techniques. I also focus on identifying genomic biomarkers for predicting aggressive prostate cancer and nerve-sparing strategies in robotic prostate cancer to protect against sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence.
Will the Center for Prostate Cancer have a particular research focus?
Dr. Tewari: Initially we will look to improve prostate cancer diagnosis—that is, diagnosing aggressive cancers when intervention is possible, while leaving indolent cancers alone.
What aspect of the center is generating the most enthusiasm/interest for you, your staff, and/or your patients?
Dr. Tewari: Having the ability to come to one office to see a urologist, a medical oncologist, a nutritionist, and a radiologist to evaluate your prostate cancer is an exciting shift in the current treatment of patients. In the end we want to drive home the point that we are disease-specific and not modality-specific.
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What service, program, or equipment are you most eager to add to the center in the next two years or so?
Dr. Tewari: In two years I fully expect us to offer a full range of genomic panels and imaging biomarkers to help doctors and patients understand prostate cancer. This will change how we monitor disease progression by obviating the need for repeat biopsies as well as diagnosing individuals when intervention is still possible and comorbidities are minimized.
