Robert E. Reiter, MD, MBA

Robert E. Reiter, MD, MBA

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Robert E. Reiter, MD, MBA, is the Bing Professor of Urologic Oncology and a Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Reiter also serves as the Director of the Prostate Cancer Program and of Urologic Research, as Chief of the Division of Urologic Oncology, and as Co-Director of the Genitourinary Oncology Program for the Jonsson Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is an internationally recognized expert in all areas of prostate cancer management and research. Dr. Reiter has a particular interest in the multidisciplinary management of men with high-risk prostate cancer, incorporating the latest in genomics, clinical trials, and precision medical therapies into treatment plans.

Dr. Reiter earned his medical degree and completed a residency in Urology at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. He then completed a residency in Urology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Reiter subsequently completed a fellowship in Urologic Cancer at the National Cancer Institute. During his time there, he was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Urologic Oncology branch of the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Reiter has expertise in MRI-guided biopsies to diagnose prostate cancer and focal therapy to treat select individuals, as well as all forms of medical therapy. He was among the first to integrate functional MRI imaging and PSMA PET imaging into the diagnosis, surgical management,  and care of men with prostate cancer. He was also an early innovator in the field of robotic surgery and has completed more than 2,500 robotic prostatectomies. Dr. Reiter’s laboratory discovered the prostate stem cell antigen and developed antibodies to target this protein, which led to novel imaging and therapeutic approaches for prostate cancer currently in clinical trials. He has authored more than 250 papers and lectures nationally and internationally on all aspects of clinical care of men with prostate cancer.

Talks by Robert E. Reiter, MD, MBA

Future Directions (FD) in Molecular Targeted Imaging (MTI) and Theranostics Discussion

Future Directions (FD) in Molecular Targeted Imaging (MTI) and Theranostics Discussion

| Jan 2025

Robert E. Reiter, MD, MBA, highlights advances in molecular targeting and imaging in prostate cancer, with a focus on PSMA PET imaging. PSMA PET is expanding its role, particularly in identifying primary or secondary tumors when MRI results are negative or ambiguous. This application, under investigation in the Primary Two study, could reduce unnecessary biopsies and improve tumor detection.

In this 7-minute presentation, Dr. Reiter reviews PSMA-guided surgical resection using fluorescence or radioguidance to enhance precision. He asserts that this approach could reduce positive margins, optimize node removal, and support nerve-sparing techniques when appropriate, improving functional outcomes.

Reiter also discusses PSMA PET in oligometastatic disease, specifically the optimal treatment approach when few metastases are present. In addition, PSMA imaging is being explored in focal and radiation therapies, where it could provide a more accurate assessment of recurrence and treatment response; in advanced prostate cancer, PET could help identify resistant lesions for targeted radiotherapy.

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PSMA Imaging as a Biomarker for Early Stage Prostate Cancer

PSMA Imaging as a Biomarker for Early Stage Prostate Cancer

| Aug 2024

Robert E. Reiter, MD, discusses PSMA imaging’s potential as a biomarker for early-stage prostate cancer. In this 11-minute presentation, Dr. Reiter compares PSMA PET and MRI. PSMA PET imaging, more sensitive than MRI, can detect cancer presence, tumor size, and potential spread beyond MRI’s capability, offering a possible advantage in early and focal disease management.

PSMA’s prognostic value is explored. Data indicate a correlation between high PSMA uptake (SUV) and higher Gleason scores. Low PSMA expression is linked with more aggressive cancer markers.

Additionally, Dr. Reiter asserts that PSMA’s potential as a guide in surgical procedures, such as radio-guided lymph node removal, could enhance surgical precision and reduce the chance of residual disease.

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Clinical Impact of PSMA PET Prior to Prostatectomy

Clinical Impact of PSMA PET Prior to Prostatectomy

| May 2024

Robert E. Reiter, MD, MBA, illustrates the diagnostic and predictive value of PSMA PET imaging and the role of PSMA as a biomarker. He begins by examining the sensitivity of PSMA PET against that of MRI and the benefits of using combined PSMA PET/MRI for intermediate-risk tumors.

Dr. Reiter then turns to the functionality of PSMA PET/CT as a predictor of clinical outcome. He presents data comparing pre- and post-prostatectomy PSMA and CAPRA-(S) scores in association with biochemical recurrence, noting that PSMA outperformed CAPRA-(S) scores in some situations.

Dr. Reiter concludes by examining the utility of PSMA as a biomarker for tumor biology and how that can inform treatment. He presents data comparing tumors with high PSMA expression against those with low PSMA expression. He notes that PSMA-high tumors are responsive to primary treatment, while low-PSMA tumors are likely to require secondary treatment.

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MRI: Can It Be Used to Plan Ablative Therapies?

| Dec 2021

Robert E. Reiter, MD, the Bing Professor of Urology and Molecular Biology and Director of the Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, discusses and evaluates MRI in terms of its ability to select patients for and help plan ablative therapies. He begins with an evaluation of MRI’s capabilities in patient selection. Dr. Reiter cites a study on multiparametric (mp)MRI detection of prostate cancer (PCa) foci that found mpMRI was capable of missing 20-30% of significant tumors. He also discusses a study of systematic and targeted biopsies concordance, finding that there was non-concordance in 36.1% of cases. Dr. Reiter cites a third study that found that 48% of MRI-selected candidates for hemiablation were actually ineligible for prostatectomy. He continues with a discussion of using MRI for targeting PCa adequately for complete ablation. Dr. Reiter reviews a study on mpMRI and predicting pathological tumor size, finding that MRI was less useful for smaller lesions but was quite effective for larger and higher-grade tumors. He suggests that MRI is not particularly useful for predicting tumor distance from the urethra based on one study that suggests that finding tumors near the urethra is important due to about 66% of PCa tumors being within 5 mm of the urethra, and another study finding that MRI fails to detect many tumors near the urethra based on an AUC curve. Dr. Reiter concludes that MRI can aid patient selection and planning but has multiple shortcomings that need to be accounted for.

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