Dr. Scott T. Tagawa

Dr. Scott T. Tagawa directs the Genitourinary Oncology Research Program at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, guiding prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer care through one multidisciplinary conversation before a first appointment. Medical oncologists, urologic surgeons, nuclear-medicine physicians, radiation specialists, radiologists, pathologists, pharmacists, social-work clinicians, and nurse navigators gather to study PSMA-PET images, molecular-profiling reports, bone-health metrics, cardiometabolic assessments, and each person’s life goals. Schedulers align port placement, radioligand-therapy simulation, fertility consultation, and exercise-physiology evaluation into a single calendar block, while financial advocates confirm authorizations and anticipate out-of-pocket needs. At the introductory visit Dr. Tagawa translates technical findings into everyday language, provides a printed roadmap that lists surgery, systemic therapy, imaging checkpoints, and supportive services, and uploads the same plan to the patient portal so every discipline follows identical guidance. Telemedicine reviews scheduled to laboratory and imaging milestones keep families outside New York engaged without disruptive travel. This coordinated pathway shortens time to therapy, prevents duplicate tests, and offers steady confidence that every aspect of health is addressed by one unified team. 

 

Bench discovery drives Dr. Tagawa’s clinical strategy. His translational program explores androgen-receptor resistance, PSMA biology, and antibody platforms that carry therapeutic radioisotopes to tumor cells while sparing healthy marrow. A flagship study of actinium-labeled J591 reported safety and durable prostate-specific-antigen responses, laying the foundation for larger trials that combine complement-activating antibodies with targeted radiation. Parallel work with lutetium-bound PSMA agents shows how quantitative imaging and circulating-tumor-DNA trends anticipate benefit, allowing treatment to pivot before symptoms emerge. Specimens drawn at each visit feed a biobank linking genomic drift, radiographic change, and immune markers, compressing the distance between hypothesis and bedside choice. By embedding laboratory insight inside routine care, Dr. Tagawa tailors therapy to the evolving biology of every tumor, sparing patients ineffective exposure and preserving quality of life.

 

Education and outreach remain integral to Dr. Tagawa’s mission. As Professor of Medicine he mentors fellows through case-based seminars that pair rigorous evidence appraisal with compassionate dialogue, and he co-authors national guidance on PSMA imaging, radioligand dosing, and genomic testing in advanced prostate cancer. Public webinars explain radioligand therapy, exercise during hormonal blockade, and shared decision making about genetic screening; captioned recordings, translated into multiple languages, are archived for on-demand viewing by families worldwide. A tele-tumor board he helped establish lets regional clinicians upload images and pathology slides for same-day feedback, reducing travel burdens for older adults and those with limited mobility. Within Weill Cornell he championed a patient-reported-outcome dashboard that alerts nurses to rising pain, mood changes, or skeletal-event risk between visits, prompting timely outreach that keeps treatment on track. By turning specialist knowledge into practical tools that reach beyond institutional walls, he empowers patients and caregivers to take an active, informed role in decisions that shape their cancer journey.