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In an interview with , Dr. Kathryn Gessner discusses her focus on improving patient-centered communication for managing small renal masses, an issue faced by 30% of such patients. She explores how multiple management options, from surgical resection to active surveillance and cryoablation, can lead to decisional conflict for patients. Her work reveals that 20-30% of these masses are benign and carry a low risk of mortality and metastasis. Gessner and her team are developing the Grade SRM clinical trial to study decisional conflict and enhance patient-centered communication. Their preliminary results indicate a need for individualized counseling based on factors such as education levels, prior surgery experience, and the nature of the renal mass. Future efforts include collaborations with the ´óÏó´«Ã½ School of Media and Journalism to further improve patient communication.
Biographies:
Kathryn Hacker Gessner, MD, PhD, Urologic Oncology Fellow, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
, Urologic Oncology Fellow, Department of Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN