Research
The Department of Urology at Loyola has a strong history of pursuing and participating in impactful research. A few examples of prior and current areas of research endeavors are listed below. Research is often conducted in collaboration with other departments at Loyola including radiology, pathology, medicine, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and basic science laboratories.
Multiparametric MRI of the Prostate
Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) has been shown to improve detection of clinically significant prostate cancer. The Prospective Loyola Urology mpMRI (PLUM) Prostate Biopsy Cohort is a multidisciplinary effort to evaluate the use of mpMRI for men with clinical suspicion of prostate cancer and assess outcome related to cancer detection on systematic and mpMRI-fusion targeted biopsy cores. Several important findings have been reported to date including the creation of the PLUM Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator.
The PLUM Prostate Cancer Risk Calculator
Radical Cystectomy Database and Bladder Cancer Clinical Trials
Radical cystectomy is a standard of care option for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Recent studies of patients receiving radical cystectomy have focused on reducing the rate of ureteral strictures with intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence imaging of the distal ureter using intravenous indocyanine green, evaluation of the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on pathologic downstaging, and participation in the RAZOR trial comparing outcomes of robotic-assisted and open radical cystectomy with similar outcomes at 3-years follow-up.
Localized and Advanced Kidney Cancer
Renal tumors are often detected incidentally with the majority found to harbor renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Prior studies on surgical removal of kidney tumors have compared tumor enucleation to standard margin partial nephrectomy showing the former is associated with maximal preservation of the kidney.
Other studies have described the pseudocapsule around renal tumors and compared oncologic outcomes of oncocytoma, chromophobe RCC, and hybrid oncocytic tumors. On the advanced RCC front, Loyola has participated in a number of multi-institutional trials including the classic SWOG 8949 trial led by Dr. Robert Flanigan and the recently accrued PROSPER RCC trial.
Health Services and Outcomes Research
Loyola urology researchers have utilized several national administrative data sources to evaluate clinical research questions. Studies have utilized the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project and National Cancer Database to describe timing of penile prosthesis implantation after radical prostatectomy, optimal outcomes for radical cystectomy, testis cancer in children and adults, and socioeconomic disparities in acute management of stone disease.
Kidney Stone Disease and Interventions
Kidney stones are one of the most common causes of urologic morbidity worldwide. Recent studies at Loyola have focused on the association of 24-hour urinary mineral excretion and stone composition with renal function, demonstrating paravertebral blocks improve pain control and reduce opioid requirement after percutaneous nephrolithotomy in a randomized trial, and evaluation of intraoperative portable CT to minimize reintervention rates for percutaneous nephrolithotomy.