New Brunswick, N.J.–The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) recently named Isaac Yi Kim, MD, PhD, as executive director of its Dean and Betty Gallo Prostate Cancer Center (GPCC), which is the state’s only specialized prostate health resource offering outreach and education activities, as well as serving as a hub for prostate cancer research. He replaces Robert S. DiPaola, MD, professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, who became CINJ’s director last year. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Dr. Kim, who also serves as chief of the Section of Urologic Oncology at CINJ and as an associate professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is an expert in the area of robotic prostatectomy and has performed nearly 600 of the procedures over the past four years. Kim is responsible for developing the Athermal Intrafascial Robotic -- or AIR -- prostatectomy. Robotic prostatectomy boasts patient benefits such as shorter hospital stays, reduced blood loss, and faster recovery. The AIR procedure spares more nerves than the traditional method and leads to faster recovery of sexual function and bladder control.
Kim also has been instrumental in securing national grants to support unique prostate cancer research at CINJ. This includes a recent $351,000 grant awarded by the Department of Defense to study the role of neuroendocrine cells in prostate cancer that is resistant to the standard treatments of chemotherapy and hormone deprivation.
“With one in six men affected by this disease, it is the continued mission of the GPCC to help further advance prostate cancer research and quickly translate those discoveries into innovative treatments,” said Kim. “It is my privilege to take on this new role and work with the highly-skilled and dedicated team at the GPCC in bringing these goals to fruition.”
Both the GPCC and the Section of Urologic Oncology offer a wide breadth of clinical trials for patients with tumors of the genitourinary tract as well as several trials studying the prevention of prostate cancer.
About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and is dedicated to improving the prevention, detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer. CINJ’s physician-scientists engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a center of excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. To support CINJ, please call the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Foundation at 1-888-333-CINJ.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides a mechanism to rapidly disseminate important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Hospital, and Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Affiliate Hospitals: Bayshore Community Hospital, CentraState Healthcare System, Cooper University Hospital*, JFK Medical Center, Mountainside Hospital, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton (CINJ at Hamilton), Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Somerset Medical Center, Southern Ocean County Hospital, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center at Princeton. *Academic Affiliate