Piyush K. Agarwal, M.D.

Piyush K. Agarwal, M.D.
Investigator
Urologic Oncology Branch
Head, Bladder Cancer Section

Dr. Agarwal is Head of the Bladder Cancer Section in the Urologic Oncology Branch. He specializes in multidisciplinary management of urothelial cancer and complex surgical techniques including robotic cystectomy and continent urinary diversions. He is also an expert in other urologic cancers including prostate, testicular, and penile carcinoma. His clinical and laboratory research focus on all aspects of bladder cancer, specifically, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-refractory disease and molecular targeted therapy. He is currently evaluating the addition of a vaccine to BCG in high-grade bladder cancer in a Phase II Clinical Trial.

Areas of Expertise
1) urothelial cancer 2) bladder cancer 3) immunotherapy 4) open and robotic surgery 5) targeted therapy 6) intravesical therapy

Contact Info

Piyush K. Agarwal, M.D.
Center for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute
Building 10 - Hatfield CRC, Room 2-5952
Bethesda, MD 20892-1210
Ph: 240-858-3700
piyush.agarwal@nih.gov
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Dr. Agarwal is interested in targeted therapy for bladder cancer. One of his current projects is molecular targeted photoimmunotherapy in bladder cancer targeting EGFR, FGFR3, and other mutated and/or over-expressed surface receptors in urothelial cancer. This is in collaboration with Hisataka Kobayashi, M.D., Ph.D., and Peter L. Choyke, M.D. F.A.C.R. (Molecular Imaging Program). In addition, he is conducting a randomized phase II clinical trial for patients with high-grade bladder cancer who have failed at least 1 course of Baccillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) that is looking at the efficacy of a vaccine combined with BCG. This study is in collaboration with James L. Gulley, M.D., Ph.D. (Genitourinary Malignancies Branch) and Jeffrey Schlom, Ph.D. (Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology).

Scientific Focus Areas:
Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Clinical Research, Genetics and Genomics, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
View Dr. Agarwal's Complete Bibliography at NCBI.

Selected Key Publications

  1. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-targeted Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) for the Treatment of EGFR-expressing Bladder Cancer.
    Railkar R, Krane LS, Li QQ, Sanford T, Siddiqui MR, Haines D, Vourganti S, Brancato SJ, Choyke PL, Kobayashi H, Agarwal PK.
    Mol Cancer Ther. 16(10): 2201-2214, 2017. [ Journal Article ]
  2. Examining the management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer by medical oncologists in the United States.
    Apolo AB, Kim JW, Bochner BH, Steinberg SM, Bajorin DF, Kevin Kelly W, Agarwal PK, Koppie TM, Kaag MG, Quinn DI, Vogelzang NJ, Sridhar SS.
    Urol. Oncol. 32(5): 637-44, 2014. [ Journal Article ]
  3. Multimodal management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer.
    Park JC, Citrin DE, Agarwal PK, Apolo AB.
    Curr Probl Cancer. 38(3): 80-108, 2014. [ Journal Article ]
  4. Targeted therapies in urothelial carcinoma.
    Ghosh M, Brancato SJ, Agarwal PK, Apolo AB.
    Curr Opin Oncol. 26(3): 305-20, 2014. [ Journal Article ]
  5. Analysis of intracorporeal compared with extracorporeal urinary diversion after robot-assisted radical cystectomy: results from the International Robotic Cystectomy Consortium.
    Ahmed K, Khan SA, Hayn MH, Agarwal PK, Badani KK, Balbay MD, Castle EP, Dasgupta P, Ghavamian R, Guru KA, Hemal AK, Hollenbeck BK, Kibel AS, Menon M, Mottrie A, Nepple K, Pattaras JG, Peabody JO, Poulakis V, Pruthi RS, Redorta JP, Rha KH, Richstone L, Saar M, Scherr DS, Siemer S, Stoeckle M, Wallen EM, Weizer AZ, Wiklund P, Wilson T, Woods M, Khan MS.
    Eur. Urol. 65(2): 340-7, 2014. [ Journal Article ]

Dr. Agarwal is a tenure-track investigator and the Head of the Bladder Cancer Section in the Urologic Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. He received his M.D. from the Cornell (Weill) University School of Medicine in New York, New York. He then completed his urology residency at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He then went on to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he completed a fellowship in urologic oncology. Before coming to the NIH, Dr. Agarwal was a faculty member at the Henry Ford Hospital Vattikuti Urology Institute where he served as the Director of Robotic Bladder Surgery. Dr. Agarwal is a Board Certified and fellowship trained Urologic Oncologic Surgeon. Dr. Agarwal specializes in multidisciplinary management of bladder cancer and complex surgical techniques including robotic cystectomy and continent urinary diversions. He is also an expert in other urologic cancers including prostate, testicular, and penile carcinoma. His clinical and laboratory research focus on all aspects of bladder cancer, specifically, BCG-refractory disease and molecular targeted therapy.

Name Position
Julian Custer B.S. Biologist (Contr.)
Rebecca Dolan N.P. Nurse Practitioner (Contr.)
Mamatha Garige Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow (CRTA)
Qingdi Quentin Li M.D., Ph.D. Biologist
Reema S. Railkar Ph.D. Research Fellow
Kareem Rayn MRSP Fellow
Yvonne Wall Patient Care Coordinator (Contr.)