Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s urology service is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of experts that is among the most experienced in the field. Patients referred to MSK will have access to life-saving clinical trials, pioneering research, and the latest therapies and surgical advances that are tailored specifically for them. Hear from MSK surgeon Bernard Bochner as he talks about achieving the best coordinated care possible for patients.
Show transcript
DR. BERNARD BOCHNER
This is probably one of the most exciting times in the last several decades in the treatment of patients with bladder cancer/urothelial cancers.
Here at Memorial Sloan Kettering, we’re seeing more patients survive this disease than we ever have before.
Come on in. I want to get your opinion on a patient here.
There’s a variety of aspects that differentiate our group. We have some of the most experienced surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, as well as pathologists and radiologists who specialize specifically on bladder cancer and cancers of the drainage system.
Recently, we’ve obtained a SPORE grant in bladder cancer. It’s the only active SPORE that’s being funded by the National Cancer Institute now in the United States.
We also have a tremendous group of translational physician-scientists. These are treating physicians who spend a significant portion of their time in the laboratory bringing these scientific advances out to the clinics so that they’re used for patient care.
Integrating these medical and surgical advances has clearly led to an improvement in patient outcome. We’ve focused heavily on providing the best surgical care that not only is gonna try and control the cancer but also provide patients with a long-term excellent quality of life.
We’ve recently published probably the largest quality-of-life study in patients undergoing bladder removal. What we found is that after their surgical recovery, patients can go back and have full and fulfilled lives after their treatment.
Working with outside physicians is a routine part of the care that we’re able to provide here at Memorial Sloan Kettering. When you refer your patients, they get to benefit from the expertise of the entire team. They then have access to a variety of clinical trials that may not be accessible outside the institution.
Communication is something that we are very focused on to make sure that patients receive the best coordinated care possible.