• Clinical Areas
Clinical Areas
Urology Unit
Fundação Champalimaud

Multidisciplinary Pathology Units

Urology Unit

The multidisciplinary team of the Urology Unit (Prostate, Kidneys, Bladder and Urinary Tract), active since 2013 under the leadership of urologist Dr. Jorge Fonseca, gives special attention to the early detection of prostate cancer through an oncologic risk assessment programme and the identification of methodologies that allow a better characterisation of the disease (particularly through the active monitoring of patients with low-risk prostate cancer). This programme follows the international recommendations currently adopted by the majority of Oncology Centres and is based on the use of high-precision imaging techniques, such as high-resolution magnetic resonance and image-guided transperineal prostate biopsies, which have a lower morbidity and a higher efficacy.

Prostate Programme

Pathology

Seeking the best clinical results

The Prostate Unit of the Champalimaud Clinical Centre is organised as a multidisciplinary team which performs a personalised evaluation of each patient and defines the most adequate therapeutic plan among the multiple treatment options adapted to each clinical situation.

This team of prostate cancer specialists includes urologists, medical oncologists, radio-oncologists, radiologists, experts in nuclear medicine, pathologists, geneticists, nutritionists, nurses, psycho-oncologists and palliative care specialists, who together approach the disease’s complexity at its different stages in order to provide the best diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

Prostate cancer is the most frequent malign tumour and the third cause of cancer deaths in men. In Portugal, it is estimated that 5,000 new cases and 1,800 deaths occur every year. This tumour often presents an indolent growth, which does not compromise patients’ lives or quality of life. However, its most aggressive forms can manifest rapid growth, invading adjacent organs and spreading to lymph nodes and bones.

The risk assessment and early diagnosis programme of prostate cancer at the Champalimaud Clinical Centre aims for the early diagnosis of aggressive tumours at an initial phase, when curative treatments have the highest probability of success, improving patients’ quality of life and reducing their mortality.

The early diagnosis of the disease enables the identification of indolent tumours at low risk for progression and apparently devoid of clinical significance. For these cases, the Champalimaud Clinical Centre has an active monitoring programme, which allows patients to choose to be initially watched, only receiving treatment for curative purposes if the tumour shows signs of becoming aggressive. Depending on the tumour size and progression risk, the decision may be to perform a regular follow-up without any therapeutic intervention or to immediately trigger a multidisciplinary treatment programme.

Our expert team is thus committed to better counselling and adequate patient monitoring, seeking the most adequate solutions for each case. The team of the Prostate and Urinary Tract Unit at the Champalimaud Clinical Centre also treats kidney and bladder tumours.

Prostate Cancer

Our oncologic programme spans prostate cancers, bladder cancers and kidney tumours. Concerning prostate pathology, we work within the full therapeutic framework, from active monitoring to focal therapeutic and radical treatment of the whole organ. We try to diagnose tumours at the earliest – in order to treat the aggressive ones as quickly as possible – given that they can compromise survival and quality of life – and to maintain the active monitoring of low-risk indolent tumours.

Dr. Jorge Fonseca, Head of the Urology Unit, in Urologia Atual

Prostate Programme

Diagnosis and Treatment

Prostate Programme - Diagnosis and Treatment

Innovating for better treatment

In May 2016, with the opening of the Surgical Centre, the Prostate Unit’s team of urologists, specialised in laparoscopic surgery, started to perform robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery. This modality is implemented in collaboration with Professor Renaud Bollens, of the Groupe Hospitalier de l’Institut Catholique de Lille, Dr. Christophe Assenmacker, of the Université Catholique de Louvain, and Dr. Aldo Bocciardi, of the Niguarda Hospital in Milan. The team was even in charge of the first laparoscopic, robot-assisted, radical cystoprostatectomy with neobladder ever performed in Portugal.

Concerning treatment, we should highlight the use of stereotactic radiotherapy as a non-invasive modality in patients with prostate cancer having a low to moderate risk for progression. This innovative modality of radical treatment is currently the object of clinical studies by the Radiotherapy and Prostate teams.

Prostate Programme

Clinical Research

Innovative, evidence-based therapeutics

In the field of stereotactic radiotherapy, the Unit participated in a phase I/II clinical trial, performed at the CCC, which recruited 200 patients and showed the viability and safety of this therapeutic modality. The observed results from this study indicate an excellent control of the tumoral disease, with high degrees of tolerance and very few adverse effects.

Prostate Programme - Clinical Research

Urology Unit

The Team

Meet our team

Improving clinical results and ensuring better quality of life is the Unit’s ultimate goal, and this often means making difficult decisions while preserving a delicate balance. That is why all decisions are made as a team, and that the patient’s best interest always comes first.

Jorge Fonseca, Director, MD

Urology

Ana Mascarenhas Gaivão

Ana Mascarenhas Gaivão

Radiology

Ângela Castro Lopes, MD

Internal Medicine

Artur Palmas

Artur Palmas, MD

Urology

Beatriz Nunes, MD

Radiation Oncology

Ciprian Muresan, MD

Urology

Daniela Dias

Daniela Dias

Nurse

Emília Rito

Emília Rito

Head Nurse

Glória Alves

Administrative Assistant

Jaime Gracio

Jaime Gracio, MSC, PhD

Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy

Jaime Santos, MD

Medical Oncology

Joana Castanheira

Joana Castanheira, MD

Nuclear Medicine

Jorge Rebola, MD, PhD

Urology

João Lourenço

João Lourenço, MD

Radiology

Mário Varandas

Mário Varandas

Nurse

Nuno Vau

Nuno Vau, MD, PhD

Medical Oncology

Oriol Parés

Oriol Parés, MD

Radiation Oncology

Rita Canas Marques

Rita Canas Marques, MD

Anatomical Pathology

Renaud Bollens, MD, PhD

Laparoscopic Consultant

Rúben Ferreira

Rúben Ferreira

Nurse

Sandra Galo

Administrative Assistant

Sara Belião

Sara Belião, MD

Radiology

Sérgio Castedo, MD, PhD

Genetic

Tiago Santos

Tiago Santos

Nurse

Vasco Louro

Vasco Louro, MD

Radiation Oncology

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