Rafael Sanchez-Salas, MD

McGill University

Montreal, Quebec

Rafael Sanchez-Salas, MD, is the Stephen Jarislowsky Chair of Urology and Associate Professor in the Urology Division of the Department of Surgery at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Sanchez-Salas is an established leader in the field of focal therapy for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. His current research priorities include diagnosis and treatment of localized prostate cancer with emphasis on focal therapy for prostate cancer and its impact on prostatic microenvironment and outcomes.

Dr. Sanchez-Salas graduated valedictorian with his medical degree from the Universidad de los Andes in Mérida, Venezuela. He completed his basic surgical and urological training at Universidad Central in Caracas, Venezuela. He was awarded with scholarships from Confederacion Americana de Urologia and The European Association of Urology to pursue fellowship training in urological oncology and minimally invasive urological surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Clinica Santa Maria in Chile, and L’Institut Mutualiste Montsouris in France.

After fellowship training, Dr. Sanchez-Salas joined the faculty of the Department of Urology at L’Institut Mutualiste Montsouris in Paris, France. During his time in Paris, Dr. Sanchez-Salas worked extensively on robotic surgery and the development of partial gland ablation for Prostate Cancer treatment. He was responsible for the fellowship program organization at L’Institut Mutualiste Montsouris and he actively participated in the mentoring and training of a number of young urological surgeons. Dr. Sanchez-Salas has authored over 200 indexed scientific papers.He is a member of the Editorial Board for European Urology Focus, The Journal of Endourology Part B, Videourology, and Actas Españolas de Urologia. Dr. Sanchez-Salas chaired the SIU-International Consultation on Urological Disease on image-guided therapy for Prostate and Renal Carcinomas in 2015.

Talks by Rafael Sanchez-Salas, MD

Urologic Perspective on the Clinical Utility of and Emerging Data on Micro-Ultrasound

Rafael Sanchez-Salas, MD | Dec 2021

In part 2 of a 2-part series on micro-ultrasound for prostate cancer imaging, Rafael Sanchez-Salas, MD, Associate Professor of Urology at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, reviews data on micro-ultrasound (microUS) from a urologic perspective, comparing it to MRI in order to evaluate its clinical utility. He explains that there is more and more data suggesting microUS’s superiority to multiparametric (mp)MRI in screening and the benefits of using it in addition to MRI in clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). Dr. Sanchez-Salas discusses microUS’s comparable detection rates to mpMRI as shown by a balanced forest plot with ratios ranging between .94 and 1.05 and its ability to help 23% of patients avoid biopsy with no cases of missed csPCa. He then looks at a study testing a proposed protocol for assessing risk based on microUS which showed a much higher sensitivity than mpMRI in microUS of 87.5% vs. 55-61% but lower specificity of 80% vs. 87-88%. Dr. Sanchez-Salas states that there are still several questions to be answered about microUS’s utility on its own, during active surveillance, for focal therapy, and for bladder cancer staging. He concludes with a discussion of the OPTIMUM trial, which will conclude in spring of 2023 and which is meant to provide level-1 evidence regarding the use of microUS in prostate biopsy.

HIFU: The European Experience

Rafael Sanchez-Salas, MD | Aug 2020

Rafael Sanchez-Salas, MD, attending surgeon at L’Institut Mutualiste Montsouris in Paris, France, and member of the Focal Therapy Society, discusses high-intensity focused ultrasound treatment (HIFU) in the context of the European experience with focal therapy. He gives an overview of the 18 current registered clinical trials in Europe focused on HIFU, highlighting that the large majority involve only minor reported complications. Dr. Sanchez-Salas also looks at the intermediate outcomes, concluding that HIFU shows promise for lowering PSA. He also notes that improved procedural controls have led to some groundbreaking technological development. Overall, Dr. Sanchez-Salas argues that the European experience with HIFU includes some of the most relevant advances in the field of focal therapy.