Continuing Education
for Urology & GU Oncology Clinicians

Conference Coverage: SUO 2019 Kidney

Washington, DC (UroToday.com) At the kidney cancer session at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Society for Urologic Oncology, Dr. Suzanne Merrill discussed stratified surveillance algorithms after the treatment of localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Dr. Merrill poses the question ‘why should we care about surveillance practices?’ First, cancer follow-up makes up a large part of our practices, from upwards of 35-40% of clinic volume being urologic cancer follow-up patients. Second, we need to drive to be better stewards of medical resources (ordering necessary tests), and our time (see the patients who really need us). Finally, there is increasing oversight by insurance companies who are scrutinizing over imaging intensity and scope of testing.

Non-Accredited

Washington, DC (UroToday.com) The second session on renal cell carcinoma at the SUO focused on the management of advanced disease. Dr. Brugarolas was invited to present data regarding the value of a critical assessment of one’s own institution’s outcomes to drive patient outcomes. He is a professor at UT Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center in both the Department of Hematology/Oncology and Developmental Biology, where he leads the Kidney Cancer Program and as such is uniquely posed to discuss quality outcomes in the multidisciplinary setting.

Non-Accredited

Washington, DC (UroToday.com) To start the SUO-CTC session on trial updates, Dr. Naomi Haas provided an overview of the challenges seen in adjuvant renal cell carcinoma (RCC) trials. Dr. Haas notes that in 2017 there was a consensus meeting of RCC experts at the FDA White Oak campus to identify challenges and to make recommendations for adjuvant RCC trials.1 She notes that historically only 4% of adult cancer patients currently participate in clinical trials, due in part to the stringent eligibility criteria, which sometimes do not represent the “real world” patients.

Non-Accredited

Washington, DC (UroToday.com) As part of the Research Scholars Update at SUO 2019, Dr. Brandon Manley discussed his work employing multiparametric profiling to characterize immunotherapy responders in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Renal cell carcinoma represents a heterogeneous group of malignancies composed of diverse histologic and genetic assembly, and there are almost 64,000 new cases a year in the US.

Non-Accredited

Washington, DC (UroToday.com) During the kidney cancer session at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology, Dr. Vitaly Margulis from UT Southwestern provided an update of stereotactic radiation for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Historically, Dr. Margulis notes that RCC has been thought of as a radio-resistant tumor. However, what we have found in mouse model studies is that the tumor was resistant at conventional dosing, but not at higher levels.

Non-Accredited