Elizabeth Plimack, MD, MS

 

Three members of Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Genitourinary Cancer Program have recently gained national recognition for their work to advance the care of patients with genitourinary and urologic cancers. 

In January, Elizabeth Plimack, MD, MS, professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology and chief of the Division of Genitourinary Medical Oncology at Fox Chase, was appointed chair of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN), a national advocacy organization dedicated to advancing bladder cancer care and research. 

Plimack’s work at Fox Chase focuses on the treatment of kidney, bladder, prostate, and testicular cancer, and she has been actively involved with BCAN for about a decade. Her research looks at identifying biomarkers in neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy in bladder cancer, as well as developmental therapeutics and immunotherapy in genitourinary malignancies.

“We are fortunate in the field of bladder cancer to have created a culture of engagement and collaboration—for which BCAN as an organization deserves credit,” Plimack said. “I look forward to working with my fellow experts toward the shared goals of better understanding this disease and improving outcomes for our patients through science.”

In April, Alexander Kutikov, MD, FACS, chief of the Division of Urology and Urologic Oncology at Fox Chase, was named as a winner of the American Urological Association’s Young Urologist of the Year Award for the Mid-Atlantic Section. 

The award is given in recognition of Dr. Kutikov’s efforts and commitment to the advancement of fellow young urologists—specifically, his leadership and support of trainees and junior faculty. 

“A recognized thought leader in urologic oncology,” the award citation stated, “Dr. Kutikov is a frequently invited speaker and panelist at national meetings on the management of bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and adrenal disorders.”

Finally, in May, Benjamin Miron, MD, a medical oncology fellow at Fox Chase, was recognized by BCAN with the 2021 New Discoveries Young Investigator Award.

The title of Miron’s project is “Relationship of Circulating Tumor DNA in Patients With Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer to Pathologic Staging and Disease Prognosis.” Each Young Investigator Award provides a $50,000 grant that supports one year of early career bladder cancer research.

“The BCAN Young Investigator Award emphasizes the importance of investing in original research conceived and conducted by young scientists,” said Plimack. “We are thrilled both that Dr. Miron is being recognized for his potential to contribute to the field and that his project will be funded so that we can learn more about biomarkers in the blood of bladder cancer patients.”