Aditya Bagrodia, M.D.

Meet Dr. Bagrodia

Urologist in Dallas

A diagnosis of urologic cancer means tough decisions. While treatment options are varied, they can have long-term effects on sexual function, continence, and overall health. UT Southwestern urologist Aditya Bagrodia, M.D., guides his patients on a path that’s best for them – both in terms of survival and quality of life – including navigating the latest treatments.

For example, Dr. Bagrodia says there is no cancer in genitourinary oncology in which the decisions are more complex and challenging than testicular cancer.

“Given the high cancer-specific survival rates and relatively young age at presentation for these young cancer victims, I am interested in maximizing efficacy and minimizing morbidity of unnecessary treatment,” he says. “UT Southwestern offers a comprehensive testicular germ cell tumor program that provides nerve-sparing surgery, the most innovative minimally invasive surgical techniques, and incorporating novel imaging platforms and molecular biomarkers to help make individualized treatment decisions.”

Patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancers also face choices, Dr. Bagrodia says.

“Is it appropriate and safe to wait and see if a tumor becomes aggressive? Or would it be better to proceed with surgery, radiation, or participation in clinical trials of a new therapy? As we learn more about the nature of cancer, we can help each patient make highly personalized treatment decisions,” he says. 

Men whose prostate cancers are considered indolent (non-aggressive) and pose a low risk may choose active surveillance – informally known as watchful waiting – rather than immediate treatment. These patients are closely monitored at regular intervals in UT Southwestern’s MRI fusion-guided biopsy program to make sure their cancer is not changing into a more aggressive form.

When prostate cancer patients want to have a tumor removed as promptly as possible, Dr. Bagrodia says robotic surgery will be a key component of their treatment plan.

“We combine an evaluation of the disease biology with state-of-the-art imaging,” he says. “This allows us to design the surgery to achieve an optimal cancer outcome while minimizing damage to nerves and healthy tissue that are important for urinary continence.”

Whatever the particular condition and the ultimate treatment plan, a collaborative approach to care is essential.

“Successful treatment for urologic malignancies draws not only on the individual physician’s skill, but on the close collaboration among multiple specialties, such as medical oncology and radiation oncology,” Dr. Bagrodia says. “We have excellent capabilities in all of these disciplines here at UT Southwestern. And we have constant, collegial communication across the team and at every stage of a patient’s care.”

Researching the Next Generation of Treatments

Urologic cancers are found not only within male sex organs; they also encompass cancers of the bladder and kidney. With their vague and ambiguous symptoms, these malignancies are, unfortunately, rarely diagnosed early in the disease process; when they are, it’s usually because they have been discovered during tests for other conditions.

Dr. Bagrodia and his colleagues are studying ways to evaluate bladder and kidney cancers more quickly and accurately through MRI imaging techniques and molecular analysis. Such insights will facilitate customized treatments that may include radiation, robotic techniques, and surgical ablation.

Patients with aggressive bladder or kidney cancers have access to leading-edge, organ-sparing surgical approaches whenever feasible, as well as neobladder construction for both male and female patients when appropriate.

“Our patients are understandably quite anxious about their diagnosis and choosing the treatments that are right for them,” Dr. Bagrodia says. “What I find most gratifying about my practice is not only meeting the medical challenges of treating urologic cancers. It’s also about walking my patients through the experience, making sure they understand their options, and easing their minds that they are receiving the best care.”