Invited Faculty
Invited Faculty
Dr Axel Bex, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Prof Michael Blute, UMass Memorial Health Care and UMass Medical School, USA
Prof Mary Gospodarowicz, Princess Margaret Hospital, Canada
Dr James Porter, Swedish Urology Group, USA
Prof Urs Studer, Bern University Hospital, Switzerland
Dr Axel Bex
Dr. Axel Bex is a urologic surgeon at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. After his medical studies at the University of Aachen, Germany he followed residencies in Surgery and Urology and specialized further in genitourinary oncology. The main clinical research interest focuses on metastatic renal cell carcinoma and the role of cytoreductive nephrectomy and metastasectomy. Prospective trials were initiated at the NKI to investigate whether presurgical systemic therapy can be used to define those patients who may benefit from additional surgery. Axel Bex is the PI of an ongoing EORTC trial 30073 immediate versus deferred nephrectomy in patients with metastatic RCC receiving sunitinib.
Prof Michael Blute
Michael L. Blute, MD, is the inaugural Mary C. DeFeudis Chair of Cancer Care and Research,
joining the University of Massachusetts Medical School and UMass Memorial Health Care in
2009 as director of the Cancer Center of Excellence, professor of surgery and interim director of
the Division of Urology in the Department of Surgery. Widely recognized in the treatment of
urological cancers, Dr. Blute is responsible for establishing clinical services and advancing
clinical and translational research strategies.
A native of Massachusetts, Dr. Blute graduated from the College of the Holy Cross before
matriculating at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and graduating from the Creighton
University School of Medicine, Magna Cum Laude.
Prior to his arrival at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dr. Blute was the Dr.
Anson L. Clark Professor of Urology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, served as
Chair of the Department of Urology from 1999 to 2006 and served on the Executive Board at the
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota from 2006-2009. He was a key contributor at the Mayo
Clinic Cancer Center, serving as co-investigator on research grants in clinical oncology, genetic
susceptibility in cancer and chemoprevention. He specialized in radical prostate surgery, kidney
sparing surgery and other advanced GU cancer surgery.
Dr. Blute has published extensively on prostate and renal cancer, with a particular emphasis on
improving patient outcomes and isolating genetic variation in tumor cells. In 2010 he received
“Career Contribution Award for GU Cancer Advancement” from the American Urologic
Association. Currently, he is the lead investigator of the NIH-funded Cancer Genome Atlas
kidney cancer work group and is co-investigator on a 10-year, multidisciplinary study funded by
the National Cancer Institute to significantly reduce mortality from prostate carcinoma.
Prof Mary Gospodarowicz
Mary Gospodarowicz is the Medical Director of the Cancer Program at Princess Margaret Hospital and University Health Network and the Regional Vice President of Cancer Care Ontario. She is also the Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Toronto and Chief of the Radiation Medicine Program at Princess Margaret Hospital.
She received her MD degree from the University of Toronto and holds specialty certifications in internal medicine, medical oncology and radiation oncology. She is an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists in the United Kingdom, an honorary member of the European Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO), a Fellow of the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) and past president of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncologists (CARO). She is engaged in active clinical practice of radiation oncology treating patients. Her research interests have focused on clinical trials evaluating the role of radiation therapy in lymphomas, and genitourinary cancers. Current interests include image guided precision radiotherapy, late effects of cancer treatment, survivorship. She has a major interest in cancer classification mainly staging and prognostic factors. Prof. Gospodarowicz co- chairs the UICC TNM Project.
Mary Gospodarowicz has served on various provincial, national and international committees. She is member of the Board of Directors of UICC and this year she was appointed as President-Elect of UICC (Union for International Cancer Control). UICC is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the global control of cancer. She is also member of the Board of Directors of the International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group.
Dr James Porter
Dr. James Porter is director of surgical robotics at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. He is former Associate Professor of urology and head of laparoscopy and robotics in the Department of Urology at the University of Washington Medical Center. His area of expertise and is robotic assisted prostatectomy and partial nephrectomy. He has pioneered the retroperitoneal approach for robotic renal surgery and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for the treatment of testicular cancer. He has been director of a fellowship in robotic and laparoscopic surgery for the last 10 years. He is considered the most experienced laparoscopic and robotic surgeon in the Pacific Northwest. He earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Ohio State University. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio and did his urology residency at the University of Washington Medical Center. He did advanced laparoscopic training in Heilbronn, Germany under the direction of Dr. Jens Rassweiler.
Prof Urs Studer
Prof. Urs E. Studer is Expert Consultant of the Department of Urology at the University Hospital of Bern, after having been Chairman from 1994-2009. Since 2010 he serves as the Yeoh Ghim Seng Visiting Professor at the University of Singapore. His specialties are nervesparing pelvic surgery, ileal orthotopic bladder substitution and hormonal treatment of prostate cancer. Prof. Studer is a honorary member of the AUA and EAU, the German, Canadian, South African, Swedish and Swiss Urological Associations, the EORTC GU group and the Asian Surgical Association. He received several prizes, among which the Harry Spence medal from the AAGUS, the Paul Harris Fellow Award of Rotary International and the Willy Gregoir Medal 2011, the highest distinction of the EAU.
Program
The 2nd National Bladder & Kidney Cancer Symposium will be held in February 2012.
Building on the success of the inaugural meeting in 2010, this will provide a multidisciplinary
update on the management of these malignancies, through a combination of plenary
sessions, case discussions and a surgical workshop.
PROGRAM:
Day 1:
Renal Malignancy
- Pathology and genetics of renal cell carcinoma
- Diagnosis and management of small renal masses
- Update on nephron sparing surgical techniques
- Medical and surgical options for advanced renal cell carcinoma
Day 2:
Bladder Cancer
- Superficial bladder cancer
- Intravesical therapies for recurrent/refractory disease
- Treatment strategies for high risk superficial cancer
- Invasive bladder cancer
- Role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy
- Surgical techniques - lymphadenectomy, techniques for orthotopic reconstruction
- Current status of bladder conservation strategies
- Management of non-TCC bladder
- Management of upper tract TCC
Also on Day 2:
Nurses breakfast - managing the patient with bladder cancer
- Nurse led surveillance
- Current management strategies for superficial bladder cancer
- Cystectomy - patient implications
CPD Points
The Symposium has been awarded the following CPD Points by the Genitourinary Oncology Special Advisory Group of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ).
Thursday 9 and Friday 10 February: 8 points per day
Saturday 11 February: 3 points for the day.