Genitourinary medical oncologist Dillon Cockrell, MD, and Jeffrey Gahan, urologic oncology surgeon, recently joined the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) genitourinary (GU) oncology team, increasing patients’ access to expert GU medical oncology care at Duke Cancer Center in Raleigh and Cary in collaboration with other DCI campuses.

“I am thrilled with the progress we’ve made in building our Wake County team, and the recent additions elevate us to an even more exceptional level of care,” says Tara Morgan, MD, urologic oncology surgeon. 

With the remarkable growth in Wake County over recent years, Morgan envisioned the steps required to meet this demand and maintain world-class care. “I had previous experience with Dr. Gahan in Dallas and know firsthand the exceptional patient care he provides, making him an invaluable asset as a leader in urologic oncology,” says Morgan.

With the addition of two skilled APPs and Cockrell, the GU oncology team can meet the growing population’s needs with exceptional multidisciplinary care. “I’m deeply connected to the state of North Carolina and serving patients in Wake County,” says Cockrell. 

Cockrell was inspired to specialize in GU oncology while working in prostate cancer research at Duke before attending medical school. “I experienced Duke’s innovation and robust trials for patients. Now, I can offer that to my patients."

One of DCI’s strengths is its strong collaboration across teams and systems. “Our Wake County patients can see us for clinic visits close to home, but they have access to trials and treatments in Wake County and Durham,” says Cockrell. “Our research network facilitates scheduling across multiple locations, so we can coordinate care at different locations to optimize care and convenience.”

The GU oncology team representing all locations meets weekly with research teams to discuss ongoing trials, research developments, and trial recruitment. “Our regular communication and collaboration with the research team increases our visibility into all GU oncology trials in the DCI network, which benefits patients,” says Cockrell.

The addition of Cockrell and Gahan enhances the GU oncology team’s capacity for multispecialty collaboration. “We have a multidisciplinary clinic established at Raleigh, and we’re developing a multidisciplinary clinic in Cary, which I’m looking forward to being a part of,” says Cockrell. Patients can access multiple specialists with coordinated appointments for maximum convenience. 

The GU oncology team also meets bi-weekly for tumor board to discuss cases and treatment plans, including radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and more. “It’s important to have a multidisciplinary team for prostate, kidney, testicular, and bladder cancers. Specialists work closely together on patient cases,” says Cockrell.

Prostate cancer is a specialized focus area for both Gahan and Cockrell. “Prostate cancer accounts for the majority of cases, and I enjoy taking care of these patients. We often follow patients for years, so there’s continuity of care,” says Cockrell. 

At Duke, patients have access to leading-edge treatments for prostate cancer. “Treatment has evolved significantly,” says Cockrell. DCI increasingly offers more oral pharmaceutical options and novel treatments for advanced prostate cancer like PLUVICTO® (Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation, Indianapolis, Indiana).

The Wake County GU oncology team coordinates with other DCI campuses to offer patients all prostate cancer treatment options. “If we have a treatment available only at Durham, patients can still manage their care in Wake County and schedule treatment at the other location. We work back and forth very well to get patients the treatment they need,” says Cockrell.

Retzius-sparing prostatectomy is another innovative prostate cancer treatment offered by Gahan. This emerging surgical technique can preserve urinary function and improve quality of life with positive oncologic outcomes.

The team also commonly provides second opinions for patients outside of Wake County. “Some patients travel to us for a second opinion — it can provide patients with more reassurance,” says Cockrell. “Second opinions give another set of eyes on a case. Some patients want to continue seeing us, but if they have another team closer to home, we can connect with that team to discuss treatment and collaborate.”