YEAR IN REVIEW: 2023 BREAKTHROUGHS IN RESEARCH
​AND DISCOVERY

Northwestern Medicine is leading the way in innovation and excellence in the field of urologic health. From bedside to bench and back again, our researchers seek to develop therapies and search for cures that tangibly impact the lives of real people. We have recruited new scientists and expanded our research team to allow us to continue making groundbreaking clinical discoveries, enroll more patients in clinical trials and advance our world-class research.

Clinically, we offer premier diagnostic and treatment capabilities, with the goal of achieving superior results for patients. Northwestern Medicine has been ranked the top urology program in Illinois for 26 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report, 2023 – 2024. We earn this distinction by being a leader in innovative research, resulting in the delivery of integrated urologic care that improves the health and quality of life for patients at Northwestern Medicine and beyond.
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Our Year in Review highlights our key activities and accomplishments, and the people who made them possible. Together with our patients, scientists and clinicians, we will continue to advance urologic care through research, education and discovery.
Sincerely,
Edward (Ted) Schaeffer, MD, PhD
Chair, Department of Urology
Harold Binstein Professor of Urology
Northwestern Medicine

Discoveries

Discovery Could Improve Survival of Bladder Cancer Patients
In a discovery that could improve the survival of bladder cancer patients, Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD, the Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD Professor of Urology, and a team of Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed a biomarker signature test to predict which tumors will respond to immunotherapy.
The PREVENT Randomized Trial: Evaluating Transperineal Vs. Transrectal Biopsies
A group of physicians from the Northwestern Medicine department of Urology, including co-primary investigator Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD, chair and professor of Urology, participated in a multi-site randomized clinical trial funded by the National Cancer Institute to compare the outcomes of transperineal biopsy without antibiotic prophylaxis to transrectal biopsy with targeted prophylaxis.
Improving Immune Responses in Prostate Cancer
Men with high-risk prostate cancer who received immunotherapy treatment with enoblituzumab in the weeks leading up to surgery had favorable rates of disease remission and tumor downgrading after surgery, according to a recent study published in Nature Medicine by Ashley E. Ross, MD, PhD, of Northwestern Medicine Urology.
Customized Prostate Cancer Risk Screening Using Novel Nomograms With MRI
Ashley E. Ross, MD, PhD, discusses the novel nomograms that he and his team at Northwestern Medicine developed to help clinicians risk stratify patients with elevated PSA of 2–20 ng/mL who are being considered for biopsy. 

CLINICAL UPDATES AND ADVANCES

Case Challenge: Lesions on Peritoneal Lining Discovered During Prostatectomy
During a radical prostatectomy for middle-aged patient with intermediate risk prostate cancer, the surgical team unexpectedly discovered small tumoral-like lesions throughout the peritoneal lining of the pelvis. Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD, chair of Urology and the Harold Binstein Professor of Urology, shares the diagnostic journey, surgical decisions and multidisciplinary approach taken to ensure the best outcome for the patient. 
Behind BETTER Medicine: Watch a Complex Robot-Assisted Ileal Conduit Revision Surgery
Ziho Lee, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Urology, performs a complex robot-assisted ileal conduit revision surgery for a 77-year-old female patient who previously underwent a radical cystectomy for bladder cancer at another hospital. 
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Treatment Protocol for Incidental Prostate Cancer After HoLEP
Amy E. Krambeck, MD, chief of Endourology and Stone Disease at Northwestern Medicine, and Ashley E. Ross, MD, PhD, discuss the active surveillance protocol they developed for managing incidental prostate cancer after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP).
Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy: Improving Surgical Team Communication to Reduce Costs
Amy E. Krambeck, MD, describes the percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) equipment whiteboard her team developed that improved equipment communication accuracy, case item accuracy and PCNL cost efficiency.

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