Andre Abreu, MD

Keck Hospital of University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

Dr. Andre Abreu is a urological surgeon and urologist, currently practicing at the Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA. He earned his M.D. from the Universidade Federal do Ceará Faculdade de Medicina, where he also completed an internship. Dr. Abreu then completed his urology residency at the Hospital São Lucas da PUCRS in Brazil, followed by a fellowship in minimally-invasive surgery at the Keck Hospital of the University of Southern California. Current affiliations include Verdugo Hills Hospital, the Keck Hospital of USC, and USC Norris Cancer Hospital.

He is well-versed in both English and Portuguese and has contributed to several published works focusing on a variety of subjects, including analyses of robot-assisted surgery techniques, the utility and accuracy of MRI and ultrasound technology, and the limitations of computed tomography for renal tumors.

Talks by Andre Abreu, MD

Energy Selection Ablative Technologies for Focal Therapy

Posted by Andre Abreu, MD | Dec 2024

Andre Abreu, MD, delves into energy modalities for focal therapy in prostate cancer, presented with a comprehensive and practical approach. This 16-minute presentation explores multiple energy options, including cryoablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), irreversible electroporation (IRE), laser ablation, and microwave ablation. Dr. Abreu emphasizes the importance of aligning energy selection with institutional expertise and patient-specific factors.

Patient-specific considerations guide technology selection, including rectal wall thickness and proximity to critical structures. Transition zone lesions benefit from tools like aqua ablation, while anterior lesions present challenges for certain devices. The speaker emphasizes the need for personalized management, integrating oncologic characteristics with procedural capabilities.

Dr. Abreu optimistically frames the future of focal therapy, with ongoing trials like vapor ablation and the potential for low-dose radiation therapy combined with IRE promising advancements. He calls for practical recommendations and an invitation for ongoing exploration in the evolving field of prostate cancer management.

HIFU Focal Therapy: Prostate Cancer – Emerging Data and Clinical Utility vs. Standard Care

Posted by Andre Abreu, MD | Jan 2021

Andre Abreu, MD, Urologist at the Keck Hospital of University of Southern California, describes how high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) works, and the data that earned it FDA-approval for prostatic tissue ablation in November 2015. Following this, Dr. Abreu reviews the three main goals of focal therapy: selectively ablating known disease, preserving functions, and minimizing morbidity, all without compromising life expectancy. He then uses two systematic reviews, one from 2017 and one from 2019, to explain how focal therapy benefits continence and potency rates. Further presented data includes a 2020 review of evidence and reported outcomes from an October 2020 study of hemigland HIFU ablation as primary treatment for localized prostate cancer, both of which exhibit HIFU’s safety, excellent potency, and continence preservation, as well as adequate short-term prostate cancer control. Dr. Abreu also addresses comparisons to radiation and acknowledges that HIFU works well for intermediate-disease but is still controversial for low- or high-risk disease, showing a need for further study.