Patients with urologic cancers or other urologic conditions may benefit from the latest therapies available through enrollment in clinical trials offered by Skyline Urology.

Skyline currently has active trials involving new oral or IV drugs to treat advanced prostate cancer, bladder cancer and overactive bladder. Other medical therapies and immunotherapy trials are being studied in the treatment of incontinence, erectile dysfunction (ED), and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) among other conditions.

More commonly found at large academic medical centers, clinical trials are research-based studies of new drugs, surgical devices or other therapies used to combat cancer and other diseases or medical conditions.

According to Skyline Urology's chief medical officer, Dr. Richard David, "One of the benefits of receiving care from a Skyline Urology expert is access to clinical trials, depending upon the particular eligibility criteria for each study. Participation in a clinical trial may offer a new drug or other innovative treatment before it is widely available to other patients. Often this means giving a patient hope when he or she has failed standard therapy."

Some of Skyline's clinical studies are part of larger, national trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. Other may be sponsored by a large corporate entity that produces medical devices or products or new drugs to combat major diseases. More specifically, Skyline's clinical trials may involve chemotherapy, medical devices, surgical devices or genetic testing - all with the goal of gaining new knowledge for more effective patient care.

"As in all of our Skyline Urology activities, patient safety is our highest priority," explained Dr. Fred Wolk, Skyline's director of clinical trials. "Rigorous oversight by an institutional review board is key to ensuring the safety of our patients and the integrity of each study."

Eligibility criteria are carefully defined for clinical trials, making each study available to particular patient populations.

Skyline Urology is the largest group of urology specialists in the Western United States. The physicians group was originally formed in 2008 to provide practicing urologists in the Los Angeles area with greater efficiencies and a robust professional partners' network to better serve patients.