Andrea B. Apolo, M.D.

Andrea B. Apolo, M.D.
Investigator
Genitourinary Malignancies Branch
NIH Lasker Clinical Research Scholar
Head, Bladder Cancer Section

Dr. Apolo is a medical oncologist dedicated to improving the lives of patients with genitourinary tumors.  She designs and implements clinical trials to test novel agents for the treatment of urologic cancers. Her research focuses on developing targeted therapies for bladder cancer and rare genitourinary tumors, including immunotherapies, angiogenesis inhibitors, and agents that target MET, and in identifying molecular alterations that will serve as targets for individualized treatment strategies.

Appointments:  For new patient referrals please contact Cynthia Boyle, RN, or Maureen Edgerly, RN, at 240-760-6050 or NCIMO_Referrals@mail.nih.gov

Areas of Expertise

1) Bladder cancer  2) Testicular cancer  3) Kidney Cancer  4) Rare genitourinary tumors   5) Immunotherapy  6) Targeted therapy   7) Clinical trials

Contact Info

Andrea B. Apolo, M.D.
Center for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute
Building 10 - Magnuson Clinical Center, Room 13N240
Bethesda, MD 20892
Ph: 301-480-0536
Fax: 301-480-8867
andrea.apolo@nih.gov
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Camera on Cancer Research: Attacking Bladder Cancer on Multiple Fronts

Dr. Apolo is dedicated to improving the treatment and survival of patients with genitourinary tumors. Her research involves developing and designing clinical trials to test novel agents for the treatment of urologic cancers. Her primary research interest is in bladder cancer (urothelial carcinoma) and prostate cancer. In particular, she is working to develop new bladder cancer therapies that use targeted agents including anti-angiogenesis compounds, which block the growth of new blood vessels that feed tumors. Other research focuses include improving tumor detection by using new imaging modalities in bladder and prostate cancer and identifying molecular alterations in bladder tumors that will serve as targets for individualized treatment strategies in patients with this disease. Dr. Apolo is fluent in both English and Spanish.

NIH Scientific Focus Areas:
Cancer Biology, Clinical Research
View Dr. Apolo's PubMed Summary.

Selected Recent Publications

  1. Determining superior first-line therapy in metastatic bladder cancer.
    Apolo AB
    Nat Rev Urol. 16(12): 698-699, 2019. [ Journal Article ]
  2. Eligibility and Radiologic Assessment for Adjuvant Clinical Trials in Kidney Cancer.
    Agrawal S, Haas NB, Bagheri M, Lane BR, Coleman J, Hammers H, Bratslavsky G, Chauhan C, Kim L, Krishnasamy VP, Marko J, Maher VE, Ibrahim A, Cross F Jr, Liu K, Beaver JA, Pazdur R, Blumenthal GM, Singh H, Plimack ER, Choueiri TK, Uzzo R, Apolo AB.
    JAMA Oncol. [Epub ahead of print], 2019. [ Journal Article ]
  3. Myocarditis in a patient treated with Nivolumab and PROSTVAC: a case report.
    Monge C, Maeng H, Brofferio A, Apolo AB, Sathya B, Arai AE, Gulley JL, Bilusic M.
    J Immunother Cancer. 6(1): 150, 2018. [ Journal Article ]
  4. Eligibility and Radiologic Assessment in Adjuvant Clinical Trials in Bladder Cancer.
    Apolo AB, Milowsky MI, Kim L, Inman BA, Kamat AM, Steinberg G, Bagheri M, Krishnasamy VP, Marko J, Dinney CP, Bangs R, Sweis RF, Maher VE, Ibrahim A, Liu K, Werntz R, Cross F, Beaver JA, Singh H, Pazdur R, Blumenthal GM, Lerner SP, Bajorin DF, Rosenberg JE, Agrawal S.
    JAMA Oncol. 1-9, 2019. [ Journal Article ]
  5. Avelumab in metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum failure (JAVELIN Solid Tumor): pooled results from two expansion cohorts of an open-label, phase 1 trial.
    Patel MR, Ellerton J, Infante JR, Agrawal M, Gordon M, Aljumaily R, Britten CD, Dirix L, Lee KW, Taylor M, Schöffski P, Wang D, Ravaud A, Gelb AB, Xiong J, Rosen G, Gulley JL, Apolo AB.
    Lancet Oncol. 19(1): 51-64, 2018. [ Journal Article ]

Dr. Andrea Apolo is an internationally recognized expert in bladder cancer research. She graduated summa cum laude from Lehman College, City University of New York, with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biochemistry. She then earned her medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. She completed residency training in internal medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, then completed a medical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In 2010 she was recruited to the National Cancer Institute’s Physician-Scientist Early Investigator Program to build a translational bladder cancer program.

Dr. Apolo serves within the Center for Cancer Research of the National Cancer Institute as Head of the Bladder Cancer Section of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch and Director of the Bladder Cancer and Genitourinary Tumors Multidisciplinary Clinic. She has been instrumental in the clinical development of multiple immunotherapeutic agents and immunotherapeutic combinations, from first-in-human studies through phase 3 clinical trials. She led the bladder cancer study of avelumab that resulted in FDA approval in advanced bladder cancer. She also leads multiple rationally designed, cutting-edge targeted therapy and immunotherapy combination studies in bladder cancer and rare genitourinary tumors. 

Dr. Apolo serves on many national and National Institutes of Health committees. She has been an investigator on more than 35 clinical trials, authored over 80 scientific papers or chapters which have been cited over 1,800 times, serves on a number of editorial boards, and has made over 100 scientific presentations at universities and national/international meetings. She has received multiple awards, including the 2011 National Institutes of Health Award of Merit, the 2014 Lasker Clinical Research Scholars Program Award, the 2018 National Cancer Institute’s Director’s Award for Clinical Science, the 2018 Advancing Cancer Treatment Award for leadership in genitourinary clinical trial patient access, and the 2020 Arthur S. Flemming Award for leaders who make an impact in public service.

Name Position
Deborah Allen RN Research Nurse
Jacqueline Cadena MS, FNP-BC Research Nurse (Contr.)
Rene Costello Medical Technologist
Carlos Diaz Patient Care Coordinator (Contr.)
Corrine Keen RN Supervisory Research Nurse Specialist
Lisa Ley RN, MS Research Nurse
Marissa Mallek RN Research Nurse
Scot Niglio, M.D., M.S. Assistant Research Physician
Olena Sierra Ortiz MSN, RN Research Nurse (Contr.)
Merkel cell carcinoma tissue
Milestones 2018: New Treatment for a Rare Skin Cancer