E. David Crawford, MD

E. David Crawford, MD


Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus
Grand Rounds in Urology
Jack A. Vickers Director of Prostate Research
Professor of Urology
University of California, San Diego

San Diego, California

Researcher-physician E. David Crawford, MD, Jack A. Vickers Director of Prostate Research and Professor of Urology at the University of California, San Diego, has devoted his career in medicine to educating the public about men's health issues and finding effective techniques and procedures to address prostate cancer, the most common malignancy affecting men in the United States.

Dr. Crawford received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati and his postgraduate training included an internship and residency in urology at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati. He subsequently completed a genitourinary cancer fellowship at the University of California Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Dr. Crawford is an internationally recognized expert in benign prostate hypertrophy, urologic cancers, and in particular, prostate cancer. He has conducted research in the treatment of advanced bladder cancer, metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate, hormone-refractory prostate cancer, and other areas of urological infections and malignancies. He has authored or coauthored over 810 scientific articles, has published seven textbooks, authored over 60 book chapters, and provided more than 2,200 educational talks for patients and physicians.

In an effort to raise public awareness about prostate health, Crawford in 1989 founded the Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC). The non-profit organization is comprised of a consortium of leading physicians, health educators, scientists, and men's health advocates. PCEC's advocacy for free or low-cost prostate screening has affected the lives of millions of American men. He currently chairs the PCEC.

Crawford is an active member of many national and international organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Urological Association (AUA), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Within the AUA, he has been a member of the Committee to Study Urologic Research Funding and the prostate cancer clinical trials subcommittee. Crawford served on the board of governors, the scientific advisory board of the Southwest Oncology Group, and was chairman of the Genitourinary Cancer Committee for 27 years. This group is the largest clinical trials group in the world.

Crawford's involvement in the national prostate cancer arena has been widely recognized. He has received many honors and awards, including the CAP Cure Annual Award for Scientific Presentation in 1999 In 1997, he was presented with a 'Freddie Award" at the AMA International Health and Medical Film Competition for the program, ITV: The Cutting Edge Medical Report (Prostate Cancer: Understanding, Diagnosing, and Defeating), which Crawford hosted with special guest, retired General Norman Schwarzkopf.

Crawford again won a prestigious 'Freddie Award" 5 years ago... He is a member of Best Doctors of America and was named Healthcare Provider of the Year in the Denver Metro area by the Denver Business Journal.

He has been recognized as one of the Best Doctors of America for the past two decades and is recognized as one of the top 20 urologists in the country, for men, by Men’s Health Magazine. In 2018 he received the honor of being named the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year from the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. In May of 2019, he received the Presidential citation from the American Urological Association recognizing for his “tireless role in genitourinary cancer research that has benefited countless urologic cancer patients.” He accepted the position of Editor in Chief of Grand Rounds in Urology in June of 2019. In 2021, he was the recipient of the Merle Stringer, M.D. annual award for excellence in medicine by the Florida State Medical Association.

Talks by E. David Crawford, MD

Overview of Liquid Biomarkers

Overview of Liquid Biomarkers

Posted by | Nov 2024

E. David Crawford, MD, professor of Urology at the University of California, San Diego, discusses advancements in risk stratification and biomarkers for prostate cancer detection. In his 10-minute presentation, he highlights the challenges of inconsistent screening guidelines, criticizing the current fragmented approach to PSA screening and underscoring the need for simplified, standardized messaging for primary care providers.

He advocates using a PSA cutoff of 1.5 ng/mL as a threshold for identifying at-risk individuals. Molecular markers, combined with PSA levels, improve precision in detecting clinically significant cancers and reducing overtreatment. Dr. Crawford outlines the complementary roles of PSA testing, molecular diagnostics, and multiparametric MRI in refining prostate cancer risk assessments.

Dr. Crawford introduces novel liquid biomarkers and their evolving role in guiding treatment decisions, cautioning that they serve as data points rather than definitive answers. Drawing analogies, he illustrates the multifactorial approach required for accurate prostate cancer diagnosis, akin to assessing risk in complex scenarios.

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Updates on the RADAR Series

Updates on the RADAR Series

Posted by | Oct 2024

E. David Crawford, MD, reviews the RADAR series and addresses concerns about excessive CT and bone scans for prostate cancer. He reflects on the progression of prostate cancer imaging practices, originating from discussions at meetings over the last 12 years. This led to the formation of the RADAR series, which categorizes diagnostic and monitoring strategies into stages: newly diagnosed disease, biochemical recurrence, and castrate-resistant cases.

In this 11-minute presentation, Dr. Crawford discusses RADAR 1 through 7. Each version builds on earlier guidelines and focuses on goals to enhance diagnosis and treatment. RADAR 1, one of the most widely cited guidelines in prostate cancer, established criteria to limit imaging based on factors like PSA levels and Gleason scores. RADAR 2 introduced “therapeutic layering,” recommending combination therapies for metastatic cases. RADAR 3 then integrated advanced PSMA imaging for cases where traditional scans yield ambiguous results. The most recent update, RADAR 8, discusses targeted focal therapy, advocating for accurate targeting to maximize treatment outcomes.

Throughout, the RADAR series has prioritized adaptive, patient-centered imaging and treatment strategies, backed by extensive collaboration within the medical community. This progression reflects the continual refinement of prostate cancer care, with imaging now positioned as a vital, evolving tool for improving patient management and reducing overtreatment.

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PET Tumor Board: Case #6

PET Tumor Board: Case #6

Posted by | Aug 2024

In this discussion, E. David Crawford, MD, Jack A. Vickers Director of Prostate Research and Professor of Urology at the University of California, San Diego, leads a discussion of the case study of a 63 year old patient with a strong family history of prostate cancer. He presents this case study to a panel of experts comprised of:

Wayne G. Brisbane, MD – Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Phillip J. Koo, MD – Division Chief of Diagnostic Imaging and Northwest Region Oncology Physician Executive at the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Daniel P. Petrylak, MD – Director of Genitourinary Oncology, Professor of Medicine and Urology, Co-Leader of Cancer Signaling Networks, and Co-Director of the Signal Transduction Program at Yale University Cancer Center.

Dr. Crawford informs the panel that the patient, a physician with a history of low-grade prostate cancer, initially presented with a PSA of 4.9 ng/ml, his germline test was negative, and his MRI revealed a 40g prostate with a PI-RADS 3 lesion at the left base. After a negative SelectMDx scan and low-risk OncotypeDX score, along with a course of finasteride which lowered his PSA to 1.43 ng/ml, Dr. Crawford asks the panel to weigh in on further steps.

Dr. Brisbane suggests exploring reclassifying the patient’s risk score, given his family history, in order to qualify them for a PSMA. Dr. Petrylak supports the suggestion, mentioning that it has been common practice to reimage patients after finasteride use.

Dr. Crawford shows the results from the patient’s POSLUMA scan which showed uptake in multiple foci. Dr. Koo digs into the results, noting that there are alternate explanations for the results showing multiple uptakes. Given the patient’s risk profile, the panel suggests a confirmatory biopsy of the prostate in the highest activity areas.

Dr. Crawford reveals that the patient’s confirmatory biopsies showed the presence of Gleason 6 (3+3) prostate cancer in the uptake areas. Given the discordance between the biopsies and the scans, the panel discusses possible next steps, including sending the biopsy samples for Decipher testing, treating the patient with targeted focal therapy, and options for whole-gland therapy. The panel also discusses the dangers of over-reliance on scan results in treatment selection and cautions against over-treatment.

This is the sixth in a series of discussions on PSMA PET supported by Blue Earth Diagnostics. For the first installment, click here. For the second installment, click here. For the third installment, click here. For the fourth installment, click here. For the fifth installment, click here.

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Optilume® BPH Catheter System: Surgical Procedure and BPH Patient Management

Optilume® BPH Catheter System: Surgical Procedure and BPH Patient Management

Posted by | Aug 2024

E. David Crawford, MD, Dean S. Elterman, MD, MSC, FRCSC, and Garrett D. Pohlman, MD, explore the practical functionality of the Optilume® BPH Catheter System, a novel minimally-invasive surgical therapy (MIST). This is the third in a series supported by Laborie.

Dr. Elterman begins with a step-by-step demonstration of the Optilume® BPH Catheter System’s surgical procedure. For each step, he provides his perspective on best practices during the procedure.

Dr. Pohlman then discusses the management of BPH patients and the patient’s perspective on what successful treatment looks like. He addresses pretreatment guidance and counseling for BPH patients who are eligible for the Optilume® BPH Catheter System, i.e., patients looking for a minimally-invasive BPH treatment without the need for medication.

Dr. Crawford concludes by asking Dr. Elterman and Dr. Pohlman for their perspectives on patient and physician reception of the Optilume® BPH Catheter System in their practices. Dr. Pohlman discusses his experiences with reimbursement, significant flow improvement, and options for balloon sizing. Dr. Elterman discusses the durability of patient QoL improvement, limited catheter time, and sexual function preservation.

To see the first part of this series, click here. To see the second part of this series, click here.

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Optilume® BPH Catheter System: Surgical Procedure and BPH Patient Management – Q&A Session

Optilume® BPH Catheter System: Surgical Procedure and BPH Patient Management – Q&A Session

Posted by | Aug 2024

E. David Crawford, MD, Dean S. Elterman, MD, MSC, FRCSC, and Garrett D. Pohlman, MD, explore the practical functionality of the Optilume® BPH Catheter System, a novel minimally-invasive surgical therapy (MIST). This is the third in a series supported by Laborie.

Dr. Elterman begins with a step-by-step demonstration of the Optilume® BPH Catheter System’s surgical procedure. For each step, he provides his perspective on best practices during the procedure.

Dr. Pohlman then discusses the management of BPH patients and the patient’s perspective on what successful treatment looks like. He addresses pretreatment guidance and counseling for BPH patients who are eligible for the Optilume® BPH Catheter System, i.e., patients looking for a minimally-invasive BPH treatment without the need for medication.

Dr. Crawford concludes by asking Dr. Elterman and Dr. Pohlman for their perspectives on patient and physician reception of the Optilume® BPH Catheter System in their practices. Dr. Pohlman discusses his experiences with reimbursement, significant flow improvement, and options for balloon sizing. Dr. Elterman discusses the durability of patient QoL improvement, limited catheter time, and sexual function preservation.

To see the first part of this series, click here. To see the second part of this series, click here.

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