Sanoj Punnen, MD, MAS

Sanoj Punnen, MD, MAS

University of Miami Health System

Miami, Florida

Sanoj Punnen, MD, MAS, completed his medical school at Queen’s University and urology residency at the University of Toronto in Canada. He then completed a uro-oncology fellowship and Master’s in Clinical Research at the University of California, San Francisco. He is board-certified in both urology and uro-oncology. His primary research interest is in localized prostate cancer. Specifically, his work has evaluated imaging, molecular, and genomic markers that play a role in prostate cancer diagnosis and prognosis. He is also involved in outcomes and health service research on trends in the incidence and management of prostate cancer.

Talks by Sanoj Punnen, MD, MAS

Integrated Diagnostics (Radiogenomics) and Patient Selection and Monitoring for Active Surveillance, Surgical, and Radiation Treatment

Integrated Diagnostics (Radiogenomics) and Patient Selection and Monitoring for Active Surveillance, Surgical, and Radiation Treatment

Posted by | Mar 2024

Sanoj Punnen, MD, MAS, discusses the use and benefits of integrated diagnostics for monitoring prostate cancer during Active Surveillance (AS). He begins by noting that AS is becoming a popular treatment for a wide range of low-risk prostate cancers, thanks to more granular risk-stratification methods and an increasing clinical emphasis on lowering patient burden during treatment.

Dr. Punnen then discusses lowering the frequency of serial biopsies as a means of lowering patient burden during treatment. He explores studies which indicate that MRI and Gleason scoring alone are insufficient for monitoring prostate cancer progression.

Dr. Punnen concludes with an exploration of the ongoing Miami MRI-Guided Active Selection for Treatment of Prostate Cancer (MAST) trial examining the use of MRI, 4Kscore, and Decipher scores during AS. The data thus far indicates that MRI alone is not predictive of progression, and that clinicians should consider integrating other prognostic data into their AS treatment protocols.

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Integrated Multi-Modality Diagnostic Evaluation of Prostate Cancer

Posted by | Mar 2021

Sanoj Punnen, MD, MAS, Associate Professor of Clinical Urology in the University of Miami Health System, explains how multimodal detection options could improve and personalize prostate cancer diagnosis, specifically the combination of MRI and biomarkers. He reviews the pros and cons of each option, noting incidence and mortality rates. To bolster his points, Dr. Punnen summarizes data from the PRECISION trial and the PROMIS trial. He also looks at a 2018 trial studying MRI and 4Kscore® for significant prostate cancer detection and a 2021 study that developed a 4Kscore®/MRI‐based tool to assist clinicians in biopsy decision‐making and counseling of those at risk for prostate cancer. Dr. Punnen concludes by calling for further research, specifically studies comparing biomarkers head-to-head and trials focusing on PET imaging and quantitative imaging.

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Integrating MRI and Molecular Markers to Detect Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Integrating MRI and Molecular Markers to Detect Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Posted by | Apr 2020

Sanoj Punnen, MD, MAS, Associate Professor of Clinical Urology in the University of Miami Health System, describes how recent trial based research has supported the synergistic qualities of MRI and biomarkers in the cancer detection process by reducing unnecessary biopsies by approximately 25%. He notes that more research is needed to declare an ideal procedure as well as what biomarkers are most efficient. Introducing MRI reading AI by the name Habitat Risk Scoring System, he highlights his own research which could alter how MRIs are processed and increase NPV to 92% without the use of biopsy.

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Radiogenomics in Active Surveillance: How Can We Integrate mpMRI and Genomics to Monitor Prostate Cancer

Radiogenomics in Active Surveillance: How Can We Integrate mpMRI and Genomics to Monitor Prostate Cancer

Posted by | Nov 2019

Sanoj Punnen, MD, MAS, discusses the limitations of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and genomic biomarkers in selecting men with intermediate or high-risk prostate cancer for active surveillance. He suggests that combining mpMRI and genomics may allow for more accurate risk-stratification, focusing on preliminary data from the Miami MAST trial.

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