Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, FACS

University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences

Chicago, IL

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, FACS, is an Associate Professor of Surgery, the Director of the Prostate Cancer Focal Therapy Program, the Co-Director of the High-Risk and Advanced Prostate Cancer Clinic, and a Urologic Oncologist at the University of Chicago in Illinois. Dr. Sidana specializes in prostate and kidney cancer, performing both robotic and open surgery for patients diagnosed with urologic cancers. He offers robotic prostatectomy for patients with more aggressive prostate cancer, and performs open and robotic surgery for patients with complex, multifocal, and advanced kidney cancers. Dr. Sidana’s research focuses on providing organ-preserving treatment, with lower side effects, for prostate cancer. He has extensive experience with cryoablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation, TULSA Pro, and irreversible electroporation of the prostate.

Dr. Sidana earned his MBBS and MPH degrees from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. He then completed a research fellowship in Urologic Cancers at the Brady Urological Institute of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Sidana then went on to complete a residency in Urology at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, after which, he completed a fellowship in Urologic Oncology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Sidana is actively involved in urologic cancer research. He is investigating functional prostate imaging, image-guided and focal treatments for prostate cancer, as well as clinical trials on novel therapies for urologic cancers. Dr. Sidana has been the principal investigator of several interventional clinical trials in prostate cancer and has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He also offers physician training and directs training courses for physicians in transperineal prostate biopsy techniques and focal therapy for prostate cancer.

Talks by Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, FACS

Focal Therapy Recurrences and Management

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, FACS | Jan 2026

Dr. Abhinav Sidana outlines recurrence detection and management in focal therapy for prostate cancer.

Mechanisms and Management of Recurrences

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, FACS | Dec 2024

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, delves into the mechanisms and management of recurrences in patients undergoing focal therapy. This 17-minute presentation underscores the absence of a consistent surveillance strategy and advocates for a standardized approach, combining PSA tests, MRI, and biopsies to detect clinically significant cancer.

Dr. Sidana identifies factors such as patient selection, multifocal disease, and tumor biology as primary contributors to failures. His talk also addresses the challenges of inadequate margins and the spatial localization of lesions. Management strategies for recurrences focus on returning to foundational clinical assessments, considering patient life expectancy, comorbidities, cancer grade, and preferences. Cases illustrating success and challenges in treatment strategies reinforce the need for individualized patient care.

Dr. Sidana advocates for integrating biopsies and MRIs into surveillance protocols and highlights patient selection as pivotal to reducing therapy failures. This comprehensive analysis aims to refine focal therapy practices and improve patient outcomes.

Genetic Testing in Prostate Cancer Management

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, FACS | Dec 2024

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, highlights the critical role of genetic testing in prostate cancer management, aiming to familiarize urologists with its fundamentals and practical application. In this 17-minute presentation, Dr. Saadana shares a detailed case study of a healthy 63-year-old male with prostate cancer, underscoring the importance of DNA damage repair pathway genes.

Dr. Sidana categorizes genetic mutations into germline mutations and somatic mutations. Both are essential in identifying actionable genetic alterations that guide early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. He emphasizes the prognostic implications of genetic testing in driving treatment strategies. Dr. Sidana highlights the utility of multi-gene panels that assess a broad range of cancers and the importance of genetic counseling in addressing the clinical and psychosocial aspects of testing. Current guidelines recommend testing for high-risk, metastatic, or familial prostate cancer cases.

Rectal Spacer

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, FACS | Dec 2024

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, addresses the role of rectal spacers in reducing gastrointestinal toxicity during prostate radiation therapy. The 11-minute presentation discusses three types of FDA-approved rectal spacers: Polyethylene Glycol-Based Spacers (SpaceOAR), Hyaluronic Acid-Based Spacers, and Balloon Spacers (BioProtect).

Dr. Sidana shares images to illustrate the procedural steps for patient preparation, numbing, hydro-dissection, and accurate spacer placement, guided by imaging. Post-procedure imaging, such as MRI or CT scans, can be used to confirm correct placement.

Dr. Sidana also discusses potential complications, including minor pain and rectal fullness and rare instances of severe outcomes like rectourethral fistulas or sepsis. He notes, however, that these devices generally have a favorable safety profile.

Case Discussions II-Complications and Recurrences

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH, FACS, Arvin K. George, MD, Phillip Stricker, MBBS, Taimur Shah, MD, Thomas P. Frye, DO and Alice Yu, MD | Aug 2024

Abhinav Sidana, MD, MPH; Arvin K. George, MD; Phillip Stricker, MBBS; Taimur T. Shah, MD; Alice Yu, MD; and Thomas Frye, DO;