Research

Medical Research Strengthens Our Mission
In addition to providing state-of-the-art clinical care, our physicians are devoted to research and education. The Department's research is broad in nature, encompassing multiple disciplines and departments at WSU School of Medicine and other institutions. Our research programs include a variety of clinical trials in both benign and malignant conditions and an emphasis on translational bench-to-bedside approaches.

MUSIC- Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative

The Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative (MUSIC), established in 2011, which is a physician-led quality improvement collaborative comprised of a consortium of urology practices in the state of Michigan. The collaborative is designed to evaluate and improve the quality and cost efficiency of prostate cancer care for men in Michigan.

By collecting clinically-credible data, comparing performance among our peers, sharing best practices, and implementing changes in clinical behavior, MUSIC allows for more efficient utilization of healthcare resources, improves care delivery in our own environments, and enhances the quality, value, and outcomes of treatment provided to men in Michigan with prostate cancer.

Dr. Cher is a clinical champion with MUSIC and is involved with many ongoing projects. Our residents have published many papers and have presented at national conferences including the AUA and NCS.

Clinical Trials
The systematic investigation and evaluation of treatment methods such as surgery, drugs, or radiation techniques. Also investigated are methods of prevention, detection, and diagnosis. Through clinical trials, physicians and researchers are able to determine which approaches to a disease are more effective than others in a safe, controlled environment. Many trials deal with new treatments for cancer. These treatments, alone or in a combination with others, offer patients the opportunity to improve their overall quality of life, including treatments and cures.

In the Urology Department at Wayne State University, Harper Hospital, and Karmanos Cancer Institute, we are able to offer a variety of clinical trials. These trials fall into three main groups:

National Cooperative Group Trials, many associated with the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, or the Food and Drug Administration.
Pharmaceutical Company sponsored clinical trials.
Local, Wayne State University-based clinical trials.

These three main groups are then divided into disease sites, and then further broken down into specific stages of the disease.

We currently have studies available for the following:

Bladder Cancer

superficial bladder cancer
recurrent or metastic bladder cancer
inoperable bladder cancer

Renal Cell (Kidney) Cancer

advanced kidney cancer

Testicular Cancer

advanced, untreated testicular cancer

Prostate Cancer

localized prostate cancer
locally advanced prostate cancer
metastatic prostate cancer
recurrent prostate cancer
hormone-refractory prostate cancer
decreasing acute side effects of radiation therapy
significance of micro-metastases

For all the current protocols organized in a graphical database visit the https://www.karmanos.org/karmanos/research-at-karmanos-cancer-institute

For more information on these studies, including the eligibility criteria and treatment plans, contact:

Karmanos Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Office
https://www.karmanos.org/karmanos/clinical-trials-office-karmanos