UROLOGY NEWSLETTER
Chairman's Column
During the last year, the department has achieved previously unparalleled
success in obtaining federal funding for its research programs.
Specifically, Dr. Eugene Kwon has
been awarded a large ($1 million) NIH RO1 award and a large ($500,000)
Department of Defense award for his landmark work in the area of
prostate cancer. Dr. Margot Damaser
has also received a large ($1 million) award for her work in the
area of stress urinary incontinence. The Department also continues
to receive substantial research support from several pharmaceutical
and medical equipment making sources. (See below)
The Department also continues to be recognized as one of the very
best urology programs in the country for its clinical care of patients.
In a recent survey of over 6000 U.S. hospitals, our urology program
was ranked 20th, up from 27th the previous year. I firmly believe
that this great honor is not only a reflection on our tremendous
faculty, nurses, secretaries, and research staff, but also a reflection
on the quality of the residents we have had the pleasure of training.
All of our alums are a great credit to us and we are very proud
of all of their accomplishments!
This last year has also continued to bring us financial support
from many of you to allow us to meet our goals. This generosity
is especially important to the future growth of our research mission
given the decreased clinical reimbursements nationally. We as a
department have annually used substantial part of our clinical income
not for our personal use but to support the research and educational
goals of our department. A special thanks to our entire faculty
for their continued dedication to this effort. Also, a special thanks
to all of you who support our prostate cancer research initiatives
through our Loyola CURE committee and to the family of Mr. Hans
Gutenstein for their generous gift. Thanks also to Dr. Mike Moran,
Mr. Gutenstein's friend and doctor, who first brought the idea of
supporting our department to the Gutenstein family. The last year
has been, therefore, an exciting and rewarding one for our department.
We see a department preparing for the future and dedicated to its
missions of clinical care, education, and research. Thanks to all
of you!!
Soy Beans - Do they hold the key to the development of clinical
prostate cancer?
Clinical prostate cancer occurs with great differences in frequency
throughout the world, with the lowest frequency occurring in Asia.
Some have suggested that the consumption of soy-based foods may
at least partially explain these regional differences. Loyola's
Department of Urology is in the midst of a study to determine the
potential value of soybean proteins, especially soy isoflavones
in the development of prostate cancer.
In a study funded by the Archer Daniels Midland Company, men with
newly diagnosed prostate cancer who are going to be treated by radical
prostatectomy or prostatic brachytherapy (seeds) are asked to participate
in a randomized trial of soy isoflavones or a placebo (sugar pill).
Their prostatic biopsies are then evaluated in the laboratory for
cellular growth and death rates, DNA content, and chromosomal damage.
The premise of the study is that if soy proteins are capable of
inducing decreased growth rate, increased cell death, or DNA or
chromosome damage at high doses in the short term, they may be a
great candidate for future chemo prevention trials. Dr. Flanigan
serves as the principal investigator for the trial, which also includes
as investigators, Dr. Eva Wojcik (pathology), and Toni Fairbanks,
RN (research nurse).
Women's Pelvic Medicine Clinic
The fields of urology and gynecology have long recognized the special
needs of problems in women with pelvic complaints. Both have fellowships
in female urology and urogynecology respectively to provide training
for the care of these women. Neither though has been able to give
comprehensive training for the total care of the female pelvis.
In recognition of this problem, the American Boards of Urology and
Obstetrics & Gynecology have jointly established a new specialty
of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery with a governing
board composed of both urologists and gynecologists. The board will
set standards and accredit fellowship programs in this new specialty,
assuring a high standard of proficiency in the diagnosis and treatment
of women with pelvic problems.
In anticipation of this, the Loyola Departments of Urology and
Obstetrics & Gynecology started a new program in July 2000 to conform
to the new board requirements. Dr. Linda
Brubaker, an internationally known urogynecologist from
Rush is the Fellowship Director. She has directed a urogynecology
fellowship program at Rush for several years and has been prominent
in that specialty, serving on various NIH committees. She joins
Dr. John Wheeler from the Loyola
Department of Urology who is the Program Director. He has been active
in female urology for several years at Loyola and is an authority
on bladder physiology. They are joined by Dr.
Kyoko Sakamoto, a former urology resident at Loyola, who
finished a fellowship in female urology with Dr. Jerry Blavis in
New York, and Dr. Mary Pat Fitzgerald
who did her fellowship in urogynecology with Dr. Brubaker at Rush.
The new fellowship will train fellows who have completed a urology
or gynecology residency. Fellows will be trained to diagnose, understand,
and treat the entire female pelvis during two to three years in
this program. This new initiative will ensure that Loyola is at
the forefront of female pelvic medicine and surgery nationally.
Our friend, mentor, and former leader Roland R. Cross, Jr. died
June 17, 2000, shortly after sustaining a CVA. He is survived by
his wife Helen, his daughter Carol, and four grandchildren.
After completing his residency in urology at Hines VA Hospital
in 1948, he formed a long relationship with Hines as an attending
urologist where he impacted on the training and careers of urology
residents into the 1980s. He became the first Chairman of the Department
of Urology at the new Loyola University Medical Center in 1969 when
it opened on former Hines V.A. land. A new program was begun which
combined the two hospitals and has since become an internationally
recognized program.
He gave many years of service to Loyola including 20 years on the
medical school Admissions Committee and served as Associate Dean
for Admissions for many years. He also served as Acting Chief of
Staff and Acting Dean during the early days of the medical center.
In recognition of his many contributions to the Stritch School of
Medicine Loyola University, he was awarded the Stritch medal in
1992. He had become Emeritus Professor in 1987 and remained active
at Loyola and Hines VA in a supportive role.
.
Where They Are Going...
Graduating Residents in Urology, June 2000:
Tom Burns, M.D. went into practice in Joliet with Drs. G.
Schuster, G. Lewis and G. Andros who are all Loyola Urology alumni.
Fernando J.W. Kim, M.D. has joined the faculty at the University
of Colorado. He will later go to Johns Hopkins for a fellowship in
minimally-invasive urologic surgery.
Brian Nicholson, M.D. has started a fellowship in urologic
oncology at the University of Virginia with Dr. Leland Chung and
plans to obtain a Ph.D. in that area.
Graduating Fellows in Endourology and Laparoscopic Surgery:
Udaya Kumar, M.D. had a productive year at Loyola working with
Drs. Albala and Turk, and has accepted an appointment with the Department
of Urology at the University of Arkansas.
Kyoko Sakamoto, M.D. is working
with Drs. Wheeler, Brubaker, and Fitzgerald in the new Female Pelvic
Medicine Program.
Graduating Residents in Urology, June 2001
Matthew Anderson, M.D. joined Urology Associates of Neenah in Neenah,
Wisconsin.
Tracy Cannon, M.D. is pursuing further training at the University
of Pittsburgh where she is a fellow in female urology.
Ryan Manecke, M.D. has joined Drs. George Moran and Michael Moran,
both former graduates of Loyola's Urology program, and Dr. Michael
Milani. Their office is located in LaGrange, Illinois.
Our Endourology fellow, Brant Fulmer, M.D. had a very productive
year with us. He has joined the faculty of the Geisinger Clinic
in Danville, PA.
Click Here to find out what other
former residents are doing.
Research
Oncology:
Eugene Kwon, M.D. continues to do
leading edge research in the area of cancer of the prostate with
grants from NIH, the department of defense (DOD) and private resources.
He received grants totaling $1.5 million from these sources in 2000.
The basic focus of Dr. Kwon's research is the immunologic response
to normal manipulation and its role in future prostate cancer treatment.
Drs. Flanigan and Campbell
are primary investigators in numerous NIH-SWOG studies (NIH-Southwestern
Oncology Group) which include all major tumor areas in Urology.
This in addition to studies funded by private sources such as the
ADM grant.(See previous note on soy research).
Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery:
Margot Damaser, Ph.D. has a major
interest in investigating the causes and treatments for incontinence
with particular emphasis on complications of spinal cord injury.
She currently has over one million dollars in research funding from
the NIH, Veterans Administration, and private foundation sources.
Her research programs investigate the basic science of stress urinary
incontinence, and she will also work with the new Section of Female
Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery.
Endourology:
Dr. Turk has several ongoing projects
and grants: Medstone lithotripsy evaluation, a new device for percutaneous
access, laparoscopic procedures for urinary incontinence, an indwelling
ureteral stent evaluation, ureteral scar formation, and the use
of fibrin glue in laparoscopic pyeloplasty surgery.
New House Staff
Click Here to find out about our
excellent House Staff, including our latest additions!
Kudos...
The faculty were recognized by the following major national offices
and appointments:
Robert C. Flanigan, M.D.
- Trustee, American Board of Urology
- President Elect Society of University Urologists
- Secretary Society for Urologic Oncology
Margot Damaser, Ph.D.
- V.A. Presidential Early Career Award
Eugene Kwon, M.D.
- Department of Defense Urologic Study Section
John Mulhall, M.D.
- NIH Special Emphasis Panel
- FDA Grant Review Committee for Orphan Drug Product Development
Linda Brubaker, M.D.
- NIH ICI Study Section Chairperson
Publications and Presentations
For the 2000 academic year the publications and presentations by
faculty and residents were too numerous to list individually. They
are summarized as followed:
-
Articles (peer reviewed)- 65
-
Abstracts- 21
-
Book Chapters -30
-
Presentations -81
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