Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS

University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

La Jolla, California

Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS, is Dean of Clinical Affairs at the University of California (UC), San Diego School of Medicine. He is also Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UC San Diego Health Physician Group and Professor of Urology at UC San Diego Health. Dr. Kane is on the Executive Governing Board of UC San Diego Health Sciences and the Executive Committee of UC San Diego’s Clinical Integration Network. In addition, he is the president of the Western Section American Urological Association (AUA) and trustee of the American Board of Urology (ABU).
Dr. Kane is an internationally recognized expert in prostate cancer and kidney cancer epidemiology, risk stratification, and outcomes after treatment. He completed his urology residency at Oakland Naval Hospital and UC San Francisco. Dr. Kane earned his medical degree at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, and his BS degree in mechanical engineering at UC Davis. From 2009 to 2016, he was Co-Chair of the Renal Cell Carcinoma Advisory Task Force, National Cancer Institute. Dr. Kane is on the AUA guidelines in prostate cancer committee and was elected to the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons (AAGUS) in 2014. In 2017 Dr. Kane was elected to the Clinical Society of Genitourinary Surgeons (GSGUS). He was selected as a “Top Doctor” in San Diego in 2008-2022. In 2010, he was selected as one of two Physician Healthcare Champions in San Diego by the San Diego Business Journal and was awarded the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal by UC Davis in 2011. Dr. Kane is a retired Navy Captain and a decorated veteran of Desert Storm. He has authored over 370 publications and book chapters, primarily on prostate cancer risk factors and outcomes, prostate cancer surgery, and minimally invasive surgery for prostate and kidney cancer.

Disclosures:

Talks by Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS

Racial Justice and Prostate Cancer

Posted by Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS | Jul 2022

Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS, the Dean of Clinical Affairs at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, and the CEO of the UC San Diego Health Physician Group, discusses the role of race in prostate cancer mortality among Black men. Dr. Kane presents data showing that both the incidence and rate of death from prostate cancer are significantly higher in Black men, and that this ratio has remained consistent over time. Referencing the SEER database, Dr. Kane notes that Black men were twice as likely to die of prostate cancer. While there are claims that biologic differences between Black and White men are to blame for the rate of death, Dr. Kane points out that the genetic differences between Black men are similar to the genetic difference between White men. He further adds that inheritance patterns of Black Americans are highly variable and cannot be considered a homogenous biological construct. Beyond genetic factors, Dr. Kane mentions other possible causes for the disparity including environmental factors, care dynamics, care quality, and availability. He then reviews a study that analyzed three cohorts to determine whether Black race was associated with inferior prostate cancer outcomes if patients had similar access to care and standardized treatment. The results indicate that Black men were not at higher risk of prostate cancer mortality when they had access to better healthcare. He concludes that physicians can save nearly 4,000 Black men who would otherwise die of prostate cancer each year. Regardless of potential factors impacting disease risk and progression in Black men, Dr. Kane maintains that providing superb screening, detection, and treatment can reduce the observed racial difference in prostate cancer outcomes.

Panel Discussion on Integration of Stakeholders in Healthcare: Academic Urology

Posted by Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS | May 2020

Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS, Dean of Clinical Affairs at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, discusses the role of academic institutions in supporting the wider urology community, using USCD as an example. He notes that the UC medical system is the 4th largest provider of healthcare in California and UCSD is the 8th producer of scientific output in life sciences of any institution globally, therefore contributing greatly to the medical field as a whole. USCD Urology provides numerous specific benefits to the greater urology community, including practitioners in LUGPAs and integrated practice systems. These benefits include subspecialty coordinated care, CME opportunities, principled defense and professional support, and a clinically integrated network, among others.