Hackensack, N.J., Mar. 25, 2008—Ihor S. Sawczuk, M.D., chairman of the Department of Urology at Hackensack University Medical Center, authored a book chapter for the “Inside the Minds” series of books called “Inside the Minds: The Art and Science of Urology.” Dr. Sawczuk, who is also chief of the Division of Urologic Oncology at The Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, contributed the chapter called “The Urologist of the New Millennium.”

In “The Urologist of the New Millennium,” Dr. Sawczuk discusses the work of urologists and points out how the medical/surgical specialty has developed over the years and where it will be going in the 21^st century. As an example, he cites his own subspecialty of urologic oncology (the treatment of urologic cancers) and his expertise in treating prostate and kidney cancers.

“Being a urologist at this time in history is very exciting,” says Dr. Sawczuk. “Over the last 30 years, there was only one drug used to treat kidney cancer. Within the last one and one-half years, we have had three new drugs developed for kidney cancer. We now have robots, lasers, imaging devices, and other advanced technology that we can use to diagnose and treat urologic cancers. The art of urology is what we use as healers; the science is the concrete part of our training.”

Dr. Sawczuk predicts that ultrasound imaging will eventually replace the stethoscope as a major diagnostic tool in the near future and that the practice of urology will be completely different in as early as five years from now. He writes that being a physician carries much responsibility.

“We are granted a privilege to take care of people, but that privilege comes with a lot of responsibility and risk,” writes Dr. Sawczuk. “Urologists in practice and those in training need to remember that every day. You can’t be aloof with your patients. My mantra is that the patient always comes first. I find that if I keep that at the forefront, then everything else works.”

Dr. Sawczuk is one of the world’s foremost authorities on renal carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, and the various methods to treat it, including laparoscopic radical and partial nephrectomy, targeted therapies, immunological management using cancer vaccines, laparoscopic cryoablation, and nephron-sparing kidney surgery. He is recognized worldwide for his innovations in laparoscopic and robotic procedures to treat prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and other urologic conditions.

“Dr Sawczuk and his research have brought great renown and respect to our Cancer Center as well as have saved countless lives here,” says Andrew L. Pecora, M.D., chairman and executive administrative director of The Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center. “His writing is insightful as to what we can expect in urology in the next decade and beyond.”

Dr. Sawczuk completed his urologic training at the Squier Urological Clinic of the Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia University and his urologic oncology training as a fellow of the National Cancer Institute in the Departments of Urology and Human Genetics. He is an adjunct professor of urology at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and is associate dean of academic affairs for the Touro University College of Medicine.

He has been cited numerous times for his expertise, including being listed in: Castle Connolly’s “Best Doctors in the New York Metropolitan Area” listing in New York magazine for the past several years; the Castle Connolly Guide to “America’s Top Doctors for Cancer” and its “Top Doctors’ Guide”; and New Jersey Monthly magazine’s “Top Docs” listing.