Scholars@Duke
Reza Nabavizadeh

Reza Nabavizadeh

Assistant Professor of Urology
Urology
reza.nabavizadeh@duke.edu
DUMC 3707, Durham, NC 27710
40 Duke Medicine Cir, Suite 1570, Durham, NC 27710

Scholarly Works - Journal articles

Imaging in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: Diagnostic Accuracy of Current Modalities for Local Tumor Staging.

Journal article Curr Urol Rep · October 2, 2026 PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarize current imaging modalities for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and evaluate their diagnostic performance for tumor staging and risk stratification. RECENT FINDINGS: CT urography remains the diagnostic standard with e ... Full text Link to item Cite

Subcutaneous Fat Is Associated with Improved Survival in Patients with Non-Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: Dissecting the Obesity Paradox.

Journal article Cancers (Basel) · August 14, 2026 Introduction: The "obesity paradox" describes the observed association between improved cancer-specific (CSS) and overall (OS) survival observed among obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) patients with RCC. Prior studies have reported lower stage/grade tumors among obes ... Full text Link to item Cite

Sarcopenia is associated with poor survival among patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma and venous tumor thrombus.

Journal article World J Urol · July 6, 2026 INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia is common among patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and has been associated with poor cancer-specific (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Similarly, venous tumor thrombus (VTT) carries substantial prognostic and surgical conseque ... Full text Link to item Cite

Evaluating the Diagnostic Performance of Clear Cell Likelihood Score in Predicting Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Among Patients Younger Than 50 Years.

Journal article JCO Oncol Pract · June 15, 2026 PURPOSE: Clear cell likelihood score (ccLS) is a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based scoring tool developed to differentiate clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) from other renal mass categories. Past validation studies have primarily focu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Tumor hilar proximity may be predictive of recurrence, survival, stage, and grade in patients with renal cell carcinoma

Journal article Surgical Oncology Insight · June 1, 2026 Introduction: Recurrence after nephrectomy for localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) occurs in up to 30% of patients. This study's aims were twofold: (1) to evaluate whether hilar proximity is associated with disease recurrence, cancer-specific survival (CS ... Full text Cite

Laboratory paraneoplastic syndrome resolution is associated with reduced recurrence and improved survival in non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Journal article Urol Oncol · June 2026 INTRODUCTION: In patients with paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS) and non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma, complete tumor resection/non-recurrence should theoretically result in PNS resolution. This study aims to evaluate whether postoperative PNS resolution/no ... Full text Link to item Cite

Understanding Chronic Opioid Use Risk Associated With Penile Cancer Treatments: A National Analysis.

Journal article Urology · April 2026 OBJECTIVE: To characterize risk factors associated with the chronic utilization of narcotics following treatment for penile cancer using a national insurance database. METHODS: The MarketScan Commercial Claims (MCCD) and Medicare supplemental databases (MS ... Full text Link to item Cite

Why Radical vs Partial Nephrectomy Matters in Patients With Preexisting Renal Dysfunction: Exploring Chronic Kidney Disease Progression by Stage.

Journal article Urol Pract · March 2026 INTRODUCTION: Nephrectomy remains the curative standard for localized renal cell carcinoma. Partial nephrectomy (PN) is generally favored over radical nephrectomy (RN) for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3a or worse to preserve renal funct ... Full text Link to item Cite

Penile Cancer Treatments and Their Psychiatric Sequelae: A National Analysis.

Journal article Urol Pract · March 2026 INTRODUCTION: Patients with penile cancer may be particularly vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and social isolation, yet population-level data on mental health outcomes are limited. We investigated the incidence and predictors of mental health disease (M ... Full text Link to item Cite

Reply by Authors.

Journal article Urol Pract · March 2026 Full text Link to item Cite

Case Report: Looks can deceive: acute postoperative progressive renal dysfunction and hyperkalemia without significant hydronephrosis.

Journal article Front Oncol · 2026 INTRODUCTION: Hydronephrosis is typically considered a hallmark radiographic finding of urinary tract obstruction, expected to develop within 7 days of onset. However, this timeline may not apply universally. We report a rare case of delayed-onset hydronep ... Full text Link to item Cite

Complete pathological response in patients with bladder cancer: predictors and outcomes.

Journal article Ther Adv Urol · 2026 Pathologic complete response (pCR) in bladder cancer, most often defined as pT0N0 at radical cystectomy (RC) following transurethral resection of the bladder tumor with/without neoadjuvant therapy, has emerged as a powerful prognostic marker. Predicting pC ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of Hemoglobin A1c on the Obesity Paradox and Survival in Patients With Non-Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Journal article Clin Genitourin Cancer · December 2025 INTRODUCTION: The "obesity paradox" suggests that patients with various cancers, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 may experience improved survival. However, the influence of glycemic control on this association rem ... Full text Link to item Cite

Renal Cell Carcinoma With Venous Tumor Thrombus Has a Predilection for the Lungs.

Journal article Urology · April 2025 OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between venous tumor thrombus (VTT) and the risk of pulmonary metastases in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). METHODS: We queried our institutional registry for ccRCC patients undergoing radica ... Full text Link to item Cite

Translational Urology

Journal article · 2025 Full text Cite

Relative impact of lymph-node metastasis and seminal vesical invasion on oncologic outcomes following radical prostatectomy.

Journal article Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis · December 2024 BACKGROUND: While both seminal vesicle (SVI) and lymph-node invasion (LNI) have been identified as adverse prognostic variables among men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP), the relative impact of each of these features on subsequent oncologic outcomes ... Full text Link to item Cite

Role of B7-H3 in predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Journal article Bjui Compass · November 1, 2024 Background: Neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy offers a modest survival advantage in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) for patients with pathologic response. B7-H3 (CD276), an immune checkpoint overexpressed in various cancers, including urothelia ... Full text Cite

A Step-by-Step Guide to Double-Puncture Technique for Endoscopic Management of Ureterocele.

Journal article Urol J · June 9, 2024 To date, the optimal surgical technique for treatment of ureterocele remains unclear and the available options are variable. The endoscopic techniques that are gaining popularity mostly share major drawbacks including low success rate, high probability of ... Full text Link to item Cite

Differences in preoperative frailty assessment of surgical candidates by sex, age, and race.

Journal article Surg Open Sci · June 2024 INTRODUCTION: Surgical decision-making often relies on a surgeon's subjective assessment of a patient's frailty status to undergo surgery. Certain patient demographics can influence subjective judgment when compared to validated objective assessments. In t ... Full text Link to item Cite

2018 Leibovich prognostic model for renal cell carcinoma: Performance in a large population with special consideration of Black race.

Journal article Cancer · February 1, 2024 BACKGROUND: The 2018 Leibovich prognostic model for nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) combines clinical, surgical, and pathologic factors to predict progression-free survival (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) for patients with clear cell (ccR ... Full text Link to item Cite

Venous tumor thrombus destinations in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Journal article Journal of Clinical Oncology · January 1, 2024 Background: Venous tumor thrombus (VTT) is associated with worse oncologic outcomes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). It is unknown if VTT and pulmonary embolism (PE) predispose patients to pulmonary metastasis. Methods: We queried our institutio ... Full text Cite

Emerging Antibody-Drug Conjugate Therapies and Targets for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Journal article Kidney Cancer · December 29, 2023 Background: Approximately 30% of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cases present with de novo metastatic disease, while 20% to 30% of those with localized disease will develop metastases following surgical resection. Various drug classes have been investigated to ... Full text Cite

Creatinine to Cystatin-C Ratio in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Clinically Pragmatic Prognostic Factor and Sarcopenia Biomarker.

Journal article Oncologist · December 11, 2023 INTRODUCTION: Low creatinine to cystatin-C ratio (Cr/Cys-C) may be a biomarker for low-muscle mass. Furthermore, low Cr/Cys-C is associated with decreased overall survival (OS), but to date, has not been examined in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) ... Full text Link to item Cite

Cutaneous Ureterostomy Following Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer: A Contemporary Series.

Journal article Urology · November 2023 OBJECTIVE: To report peri-operative outcomes of a contemporary series of bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) with cutaneous ureterostomy (CU) urinary diversion at a tertiary referral center. METHODS: We retrospectively identified pat ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Impact of Metastasis Histopathology on Oncologic Outcomes for Patients With Surgically Resected Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Journal article J Urol · October 2023 PURPOSE: Multiple prognostic models exist to assess survival among patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. However, the relative contribution of histopathological features of the metastasis has not been extensively studied. Herein, we com ... Full text Link to item Cite

Circulating antigen-primed cytotoxic T-cells in patients with renal tumors treated with surgery.

Journal article Urol Oncol · September 2023 INTRODUCTION: Systemic immunotherapy has changed the paradigm of treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma, but nephrectomy continues to benefit selected patients. While we continue to identify mechanisms behind drug resistance, the effect of surgery on n ... Full text Link to item Cite

Low Skeletal Muscle as a Risk Factor for Worse Survival in Nonmetastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma with Venous Tumor Thrombus.

Journal article Clin Genitourin Cancer · August 2023 BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with tumor thrombosis often requires nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy. As an extensive and potentially morbid operation, patient preoperative functional reserve and body composition is an important consideration. Sa ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Novel PD-L1 Antibody Promotes Antitumor Function of Peripheral Cytotoxic Lymphocytes after Radical Nephrectomy in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Journal article J Immunol · June 15, 2023 The intrinsic and acquired resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade is an important challenge for patients and clinicians because no reliable tool has been developed to predict individualized response to immunotherapy. In this study, we demonstr ... Full text Link to item Cite

Antibody-Based Therapeutics for the Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma: Challenges and Opportunities.

Journal article Oncologist · April 6, 2023 Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among the top 10 most common cancers in both men and women with an estimated 75 000 cases each year in the US. Over the last decade, the therapeutic landscape for patients with metastatic RCC has significantly evolved, with im ... Full text Link to item Cite

Race-free renal function estimation equations and potential impact on Black patients: Implications for cancer clinical trial enrollment.

Journal article Cancer · March 15, 2023 BACKGROUND: Black patients face disparities in cancer outcomes. Additionally, Black patients are more likely to be undertreated and underrepresented in clinical trials. The recent recommendation to remove race from the estimated glomerular filtration rate ... Full text Link to item Cite

Salvage radical prostatectomy.

Journal article Curr Opin Urol · March 1, 2023 PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Salvage radical prostatectomy (sRP) is underutilized because of fear of historical high rates of peri-operative morbidities. However, there has been significant improvements in complication rates as well as oncologic outcomes in the rece ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mayo Adhesive Probability Score Does Not Have Prognostic Ability in Locally Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Journal article J Kidney Cancer VHL · 2023 Nephrectomy remains standard treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The Mayo Adhesive Probability (MAP) score is predictive of adherent perinephric fat and associated surgical complexity, and is determined by assessing perinephric fat and stranding. MAP ... Full text Link to item Cite

Inguinal lymph node dissection in the era of minimally invasive surgical technology.

Journal article Urol Oncol · January 2023 BACKGROUND: Inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) is an essential step in both treatment and staging of several malignancies including penile and vulvar cancers. Various open, video endoscopic, and robotic-assisted techniques have been utilized so far. In ... Full text Link to item Cite

Prognostic Value of Sarcopenia and Albumin in the Surgical Management of Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Journal article Urol Oncol · January 2023 INTRODUCTION: A universally accepted model for preoperative surgical risk stratification in localized RCC patients undergoing nephrectomy is currently lacking. Both the evaluation of body composition and nutritional status has demonstrated prognostic value ... Full text Link to item Cite

Preclinical testing of a novel PD-L1 inhibitor for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.

Journal article Journal of Clinical Oncology · January 1, 2023 Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) targeting PD-1/PD-L1 axis has revolutionized the therapeutic landscape of patients with advanced and locally advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, complete response rates remain low and there is a need ... Full text Cite

Data regarding covariates significantly associated with sarcopenia and varying albumin statuses in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Journal article Data Brief · December 2022 Poor functional, nutritional, and muscle status is a significant negative predictor for surgical and survival outcomes in patients with cancer, including renal cell carcinoma. This dataset displays results from preoperative muscle composition analysis and ... Full text Link to item Cite

Resection of retroperitoneal tumors with inferior vena cava involvement without caval reconstruction.

Journal article J Surg Oncol · December 2022 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Retroperitoneal tumors with involvement of the inferior vena cava (IVC) often require resection of the IVC to achieve complete tumor removal. This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of IVC ligation without caval reconstructi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Extramammary Paget's disease: Updates in the workup and management.

Journal article Asian J Urol · October 2022 OBJECTIVE: Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is a rare cutaneous malignant disease. Due to its rarity, there is a paucity of data regarding best treatment strategy. EMPD primarily affects apocrine gland-bearing skin areas such as the vulva, scrotum, and ... Full text Link to item Cite

Utility of ultrasonography in preoperative assessment of tumor thrombi in kidney cancer.

Journal article Can J Urol · October 2022 INTRODUCTION: This study examined the clinical accuracy of ultrasonography compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intraoperative findings for evaluation of tumor thrombi level in patients with renal cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retro ... Link to item Cite

How to Care and Minimize the Sequelae of Lower Extremity Lymphedema.

Journal article Semin Oncol Nurs · June 2022 OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to provide information regarding the care of patients with lower extremity lymphedema in the setting of urologic cancer. DATA SOURCES: Literature regarding lower extremity lymphedema was examined. Relevant informa ... Full text Link to item Cite

Robotic Repair of Ureteroenteric Stricture Following Radical Cystectomy: A Multi-Institutional Experience.

Journal article Urology · March 2022 OBJECTIVE: To examine the safety, feasibility and durability of robotic reimplantation of ureteroenteric stricture after radical cystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective multi-institutional review was performed for all patients undergoing robotic ... Full text Link to item Cite

Compliance with Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation at a Tertiary Academic Center versus a County Hospital.

Journal article J Health Care Poor Underserved · 2022 OBJECTIVES: To compare percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) compliance rate at a safety-net versus tertiary academic hospital and assess the impact of social determinants on compliance. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 133 patients at Grady M ... Full text Link to item Cite

Clinic friendly estimation of muscle composition: Preoperative linear segmentation shows overall survival correlated with muscle mass in patients with nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Journal article Front Oncol · 2022 PURPOSE: Sarcopenia is associated with decreased survival and increased complications in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Readily identifying patients with low muscle composition that may experience worse outcomes or would benefit from preoperative inte ... Full text Link to item Cite

Case report: Important considerations for a renal mass on a solitary kidney in an adult with history of childhood wilms tumor.

Journal article Front Oncol · 2022 Adult survivors of childhood Wilms tumor are at an increased risk of secondary malignant neoplasms. The presence of a solitary kidney further complicates clinical management in this population. Herein, we present the case of a 37 year old female with a his ... Full text Link to item Cite

Low free testosterone is associated with increased mortality in frail surgical patients.

Journal article Surg Open Sci · January 2022 BACKGROUND: Preoperative frailty has been associated with adverse postoperative outcomes. Additionally, low testosterone has been associated with physical frailty and cognitive decline. However, the impact of simultaneous frailty and low testosterone on su ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Helpful Tool in the Renal Surgery Armamentarium: Dorsal Lumbotomy nephrectomy for Tumor in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease.

Journal article Urology · July 2021 OBJECTIVE: To compare operative outcomes between the dorsal lumbotomy (DL) and laparoscopic nephrectomy (LN) approaches for patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing nephrectomy. DL operative technique is also described. MATERIALS AND METHODS ... Full text Link to item Cite

Sarcopenia and modified Glasgow Prognostic Score predict postsurgical outcomes in localized renal cell carcinoma.

Journal article Cancer · June 15, 2021 BACKGROUND: Body composition and inflammation are gaining importance for prognostication in cancer. This study investigated the individual and combined utility of the preoperative skeletal muscle index (SMI) and the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) ... Full text Link to item Cite

Outcomes in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Inferior Vena Cava Ligation without Reconstruction versus Thrombectomy: A Retrospective, Case Controlled Study.

Journal article J Urol · February 2021 PURPOSE: Radical nephrectomy with tumor thrombectomy is considered standard of care in patients with renal cell carcinoma. However, surgical ligation and interruption of the inferior vena cava is sometimes necessary when the tumor thrombus invades the infe ... Full text Link to item Cite

EDITORIAL COMMENT.

Journal article Urology · February 2021 Full text Link to item Cite

Overlapping Urological Surgeries at a Tertiary Academic Center.

Journal article Urology · February 2021 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the practice of procedure-time overlapping surgery (OS) is associated with inferior outcomes compared to nonoverlapping surgery (NOS) in urology, to address the paucity of data surrounding urologic surgeries to support or ref ... Full text Link to item Cite

Editorial Comment.

Journal article J Urol · January 2021 Full text Link to item Cite

Transplant Radical Nephrectomy and Transplant Radical Nephroureterectomy for Renal Cancer: Postoperative and Survival Outcomes.

Journal article Ann Transplant · October 23, 2020 BACKGROUND The treatment of complex tumors in non-functioning renal transplants requiring surgical extirpation is challenging. Here, we report the largest series of patients who underwent transplant radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and tr ... Full text Link to item Cite

Risk stratification for bladder cancer: Biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation.

Journal article Urol Oncol · September 2020 OBJECTIVE: Recent development is reviewed in biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation in risk stratification of bladder cancer (BC). METHODS: PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Science Direct databases were reviewed in November 2019 for relevant stu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Utility of Minimally Invasive Technology for Inguinal Lymph Node Dissection in Penile Cancer.

Journal article J Clin Med · August 3, 2020 Our aim is to review the benefits as well as techniques, surgical outcomes, and complications of minimally invasive inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) for penile cancer. The PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Science Direct databases were reviewed in Mar ... Full text Link to item Cite

Increased risk of atopic diseases in boys with meatal stenosis: a possible pathophysiological relation.

Journal article J Pediatr Surg · March 2020 PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of atopy (i.e. atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and food allergies) and its consequences on developing meatal stenosis in boys. METHODS: After obtaining ethics approval from institutional review board, a retrospec ... Full text Link to item Cite

Editorial Comment.

Journal article J Urol · March 2020 Full text Link to item Cite

Efficacy of Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Overactive Bladder in Women and Men at a Safety Net Hospital.

Journal article J Urol · February 2020 PURPOSE: We investigated efficacy and compliance related to percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation in patients treated for overactive bladder at a large, urban safety net hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous tibia ... Full text Link to item Cite

Reply by Authors.

Journal article J Urol · February 2020 Full text Link to item Cite

A novel approach for an old debate in management of ureterocele: long-term outcomes of double-puncture technique.

Journal article J Pediatr Urol · August 2019 INTRODUCTION: To date, the optimal surgical technique for ureterocele complex remains unclear and a diverse range of management options have been suggested. Some endoscopic approaches share major drawbacks such as de novo vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) into u ... Full text Link to item Cite

Minimally invasive approaches to the inguinal nodes in cN0 patients.

Journal article Curr Opin Urol · March 2019 PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In penile cancer, lymphadenectomy can have staging and possibly therapeutic values. However, many physicians and patients are reluctant when it comes to inguinal lymph node dissection (ILND) due to high rate of surgical morbidities. In r ... Full text Link to item Cite

Three-Dimensional Virtual Sonographic Cystoscopy for Detection of Ureterocele in Duplicated Collecting Systems in Children.

Journal article J Ultrasound Med · March 2018 OBJECTIVES: Ureterocele is a sac-like dilatation of terminal ureter. Precise anatomic delineation is of utmost importance to proceed with the surgical plan, particularly in the ectopic subtype. However, the level of ureterocele extension is not always eluc ... Full text Link to item Cite

Herbal Supplements for Prostate Enlargement: Current State of the Evidence.

Journal article Urology · February 2018 OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive review of the current state of herbal supplement market for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and correlate the ingredients of each product with available scientific evidence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven prod ... Full text Link to item Cite

Herniation of a urinary bladder diverticulum: diagnosis and management of a fluctuating inguinal mass.

Journal article BMJ Case Rep · March 21, 2017 Inguinal herniation of a bladder diverticulum is a rare finding. The diagnosis should be suspected if the size of hernia is variable on urination. These patients may also experience obstructive voiding symptoms. Various imaging modalities may clarify the d ... Full text Link to item Cite

Audible handheld Doppler ultrasound determines reliable and inexpensive exclusion of significant peripheral arterial disease.

Journal article Vascular · December 2015 OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of audible arterial foot signals with an audible handheld Doppler ultrasound for identification of significant peripheral arterial disease as a simple, quick, and readily available bedside screening tool. METHODS: Two h ... Full text Link to item Cite