Bernard H. Bochner, MD

I am a urologic surgeon who specializes in surgery for men and women with cancers of the genitourinary system. Examples of the specific tumors that I treat include cancers of the bladder, prostate, kidney and testis. My main areas of expertise include radical surgical procedures for invasive bladder cancer and reconstructive surgery of the urinary system following radical cystectomy or pelvic exenteration. Removal of the bladder, also called radical cystectomy, serves as the standard for definitive treatment of high-risk bladder tumors and can provide a cure in the majority of patients with early, invasive lesions. Function-sparing procedures (including preservation of the nerves responsible for erectile function and advanced reconstructive techniques that re-create the natural urination pathway after bladder removal) are also performed to provide an excellent postoperative quality of life.

I am actively involved in clinical and translational research to determine which treatments are most likely to maximize a patient’s chances of a cure. I am involved in ongoing studies to determine which features of a tumor predict for more or less aggressive behavior. This will help us individualize treatment for each patient based on his or her tumor’s characteristics. I am very interested in patient quality of life after surgery and actively studying how to improve our outcomes to improve patients’ long term outlook.

I joined the Memorial Sloan-Kettering faculty as an attending in Urology in 2000. I serve as the coordinator of the bladder cancer multidisciplinary working group and am co-director of the pelvic reconstruction/surgery group at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. I am actively involved in urologic oncology at the national level, serving as faculty for post-graduate courses in urologic oncology for the American Urological Association. I am involved in many professional societies including the American Urological Association, Society of Urologic Oncology, the Society of University Surgeons. I am on several editorial boards and serve as reviewer for a variety of urology-related journals.