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Thomas James Polascik

Lawrence C. Katz Distinguished Professor
Urology
Box 2804 Med Ctr, DUMC, Durham, NC 27710
Room D1557E Blue Zone, Duke South DUMC, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


Prostate cancer imaging
Focal therapy of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer outcomes
Kidney cancer outcomes
Minimally invasive surgery
Nerve sparing cryotherapy
Robotic surgery

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Lawrence C. Katz Distinguished Professor · 2024 - Present Urology, Clinical Science Departments
Professor of Urology · 2011 - Present Urology, Clinical Science Departments
Professor in Radiology · 2023 - Present Radiology, Clinical Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 1998 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published March 19, 2024
Duke Awards 32 New Distinguished Professorships for 2024
Published January 5, 2015
New imaging detects more prostate tumors

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Recent Publications


Irreversible Electroporation for Prostate Tissue Ablation in Patients with Intermediate-risk Prostate Cancer: Results from the PRESERVE Trial.

Journal Article Eur Urol · January 2026 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The PRESERVE study (NCT04972097) assessed the safety and effectiveness of irreversible electroporation (IRE) with the NanoKnife System to ablate prostate tissue in patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: Th ... Full text Link to item Cite

External validation of inter-reader reliability of the Prostate Imaging after Focal Ablation (PI-FAB) scoring system following focal cryoablation and focal high-intensity focused ultrasound.

Journal Article Eur Radiol · November 2025 OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of focal therapy (FT) has improved with the use of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) for lesion identification, though standardized mpMRI reporting post-FT is lacking. The Prostate Imaging after Focal Ablation (PI-FAB) scoring system was ... Full text Link to item Cite

Transcriptomic predictors of prostate cancer recurrence following focal cryotherapy: a pooled analysis of phase II trial and prospective cohort data.

Journal Article J Natl Cancer Cent · October 2025 OBJECTIVE: Focal therapy (FT) is a potential treatment option for limited-volume clinically-significant prostate cancer (csPCa). However, despite rigorous selection, approximately 20% of patients experience early failure. We investigated the association of ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Hessian Map- Platelet Proteomic Assay

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Hessian Labs, Inc. · 2025 - 2030

Evaluation of a Soft Tissue Biopsy System for Trans-Rectal and Trans-Perineal Biopsy of the Prostate

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by URO-1 Inc. · 2023 - 2028

VAPOR 2 Study

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Francis Medical, Inc. · 2023 - 2028

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Education, Training & Certifications


The University of Chicago · 1991 M.D.