Raoul S. Concepcion, MD

Raoul S. Concepcion, MD, calls for increased oncology education and information sharing among the urology community across the globe, as urologists play a critical role in delivering and managing cancer treatment.

As a result of the most recent presidential election, it is a big unknown what the new administration will bring as it relates to the future of healthcare in the US.

The lack of cooperation and inability to compromise, at the expense of our country’s best interests, has resulted in gridlock.

Over the past few months, an alarming number of events have surfaced that we, as providers of oncologic urology care, should take notice.

Raoul S. Concepcion, MD, FACS, director of Advanced Therapeutics at Urology Associates, PC, discusses healthcare's movement away from fee-for-service reimbursements.

The world of precision medicine is upon us and we as providers, especially those involved in the management of oncology patients, will need to be conversant and have an understanding of these various pathways and drivers in order to more effectively manage our patients

Management of elevated PSAs, or the next testing equivalent, and prostate cancer should default to the urology world, just like always.

In attending the Society of Urologic Oncology's annual meeting in Bethesda in early December, I was struck by the number of presentations focusing sharply on the burgeoning fields of biomolecular markers and immunotherapy and their application to urologic oncology.

Over the past 6 months, we have had two studies that will profoundly affect our management of advanced prostate cancer patients.

The year was 1989, and I was one year away from finishing six years of residency in general surgery and urology.

I am sure that those of you who attended the AUA meeting in Orlando were struck by the number of presentations on the use of biomarkers and their role in better risk stratification and management of the urologic oncology patient.

In urology, we are faced with very difficult and challenging times.

When I first entered practice in 1990, I was fortunate to have senior partners and colleagues who offered sage advice, much of it based on retrospective analysis of their own successes and failures over time.

We enjoyed record attendance this year by both physicians and administrators, and despite the pressures of groups being purchased by integrated hospital systems, the organization continues to grow.

Raoul Concepcion, MD, director of clinical research, urologic surgeon, Urology Associates, PC, in Nashville, Tennessee discusses some of the challenges that independent and community urologists face.

We as physicians, especially surgeons, tend to operate on the same principle: When things go bad, especially when revenue goes down, we just work harder and see more patients, with the expectation that it will correct and we can maintain.

We should move away from directing therapy based on the primary site of malignancy and focus our efforts on inherent pathways common to the tumors, irrespective of the organ.

Raoul S. Concepcion, MD, from the Urology Associates, PC, Nashville, TN, discusses a recent FDA investigation into spikes in reported adverse events associated with the use of robotic-assisted surgery.

Raoul S. Concepcion, MD, from Urology Associates, PC, discusses the new guidelines on prostate cancer screening that were issued by the American Urological Association.

We need to begin to migrate toward a system that embraces evidence-based medicine, and begin the development of protocols and the measurement of quality metrics.

As many of us are keenly aware, the coming 12 months present some very challenging times in the medical community.

As with most industries where outcome metrics are crucial for continued success, the government is wanting physicians to deliver care that is outcome- and evidence-based.

Dr. Raoul Concepcion, from Urology Associates, PC, Discusses Urologists Treating Cancer.

Dr. Raoul Concepcion, from the Urology Associates, PC, Nashville, TN, on Bladder Cancer Treatment and Costs.

Dr. Raoul Concepcion, from Urology Associates, PC, Nashville, TN, Discusses New Prostate Cancer Therapies.