William K. Oh, MD, Author at Grand Rounds in Urology

William K. Oh, MD

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

New York, New York

Dr. William K. Oh is Chief Medical Officer at the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), the world’s leading philanthropic organization dedicated to the eradication of prostate cancer and is also a Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at The Tisch Cancer Institute of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is an expert in the management of genitourinary malignancies, including prostate, renal, bladder, and testicular cancers.

Dr. Oh received his MD from New York University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Oh completed a fellowship in medical oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

For two years prior to joining PCF, Dr. Oh was the Chief Medical Officer at Sema4, a patient-centered health intelligence company. From 2009-2020, Dr. Oh was Chief of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Mount Sinai Health System and Deputy Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute, an NCI-designated cancer center, at Mount Sinai. Dr. Oh spent 14 years at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, including service as Clinical Director of GU Oncology and Associate Professor of Medicine.

Dr. Oh has authored more than 350 original articles, reviews, and book chapters on topics relating to prostate, renal, bladder, and testicular cancers. He has edited three books on prostate cancer. He has served in key invited roles for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the American Urological Association (AUA), including the Guidelines Committee for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. In addition to reviewing for prominent journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Cancer, Dr. Oh was inducted into the prestigious American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) and has been repeatedly selected as a Top Doctor in New York Magazine, Castle Connolly, Best Doctors, and Super Doctors.

Talks by William K. Oh, MD

Identifying Mutations and Optimizing Use of PARP Inhibitors

Posted by William K. Oh, MD | Nov 2023

William K. Oh, MD, highlights the growing significance of precision medicine and the role of genetic profiling in tailoring therapeutic strategies. Dr. Oh begins by outlining the importance of identifying DNA repair gene mutations, particularly BRCA1 and BRCA2, in prostate cancer patients. These mutations, which impair the cell’s ability to repair DNA damage, render the cancer more susceptible to treatments targeting DNA repair mechanisms, such as PARP inhibitors.

Dr. Oh delves into the mechanisms of PARP inhibitors, which function by inhibiting the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) enzyme involved in DNA repair. By blocking this pathway, PARP inhibitors induce synthetic lethality in cancer cells harboring defective DNA repair genes, leading to cell death.

Dr. Oh discusses the importance of patient selection based on genetic profiling and the potential for combining PARP inhibitors with other therapies, such as androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors, to enhance their efficacy. He reviews ongoing clinical trials exploring these combination strategies and their preliminary results.

Cardiovascular Side Effects of Advanced Disease Therapies

Posted by William K. Oh, MD | Nov 2023

William K. Oh, MD, details the common therapies used in advanced prostate cancer, including androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), novel hormonal agents like abiraterone and enzalutamide, and chemotherapies such as docetaxel. He emphasizes that while these treatments are effective in controlling cancer progression and improving survival, they have significant cardiovascular risks.
The lecture presents evidence from multiple studies demonstrating that ADT is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and sudden cardiac death. Dr. Oh discusses the underlying mechanisms, such as metabolic changes, increased insulin resistance, and adverse lipid profiles induced by hormone deprivation.
Dr. Oh emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in managing patients undergoing these treatments. He advocates for regular cardiovascular monitoring, risk assessment, and the involvement of cardiologists in the care team to mitigate these risks.

New Standards of Care for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Posted by William K. Oh, MD | Dec 2022

In this 20-minute presentation, William K. Oh, MD, Chief of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Mount Sinai Health System and Deputy Director of The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, addresses new standards of care in 2021 for advanced prostate cancer and focuses on non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC), concluding that apalutamide, enzalutamide, and darolutamide improve MFS in men with nmCRPC by ~2 years; SPARTAN, PROSPER, and ARAMIS established favorable benefit-risk for patients with nmCRPC and PSADT<10 months; and these studies provide the best evidence supporting early treatment. He also focuses on metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) and concludes that upfront treatment with either abiraterone + prednisone, apalutamide, enzalutamide, or docetaxel is the standard of care and he asserts that new evidence from PEACE-1 and ARASENS supports triple therapy with a novel hormonal therapy +ADT+docetaxel for chemotherapy patients.

Germline and Somatic Mutations: Can They Change Therapy?

Posted by William K. Oh, MD | Jul 2019

William K. Oh, MD, discusses emerging research related to how germline and somatic mutations affect the development and treatment of prostate cancer. He emphasizes the potential for selection of targeted therapies based on genetic testing results.