Marc Smaldone, MD, MSHP, FACS

Department of Urology

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Clinical Locations

Primary Location
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Secondary Location
Fox Chase Cancer Center Huntingdon Pike

Associate Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology

NCCN, Prostate Cancer Early Detection Panel Member

Specialties

Treatment Focus

Robotic and laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery
Continent urinary diversion
Salvage and reconstructive Surgery

Research Program

Cancer Prevention and Control

Treatment Philosophy

I am a urologic oncologist specializing in the surgical management of tumors of the kidney, bladder, prostate, adrenal, testis and other genitourinary organs. As part of the multi-disciplinary Genitourinary Cancer Patient Care Team, I work closely with my colleagues in Medical and Radiation Oncology to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that offers the best chance for cure for each patient.

The mission at the Fox Chase Cancer Center is to deliver world class oncologic care in the most compassionate and respectful way possible. A cancer diagnosis brings fear and uncertainty for patients and their families, and my personal philosophy is to treat patients how I would wish for my family members to be treated. Patient education is essential, and I consider it of utmost importance to take the time necessary for patients to understand and feel comfortable with all possible treatment options to inspire confident decision making.

I have expertise in open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgical techniques, which allows me to tailor a specific treatment plan based on individual patient need and preferences. I have particular expertise in minimally invasive organ preserving and reconstructive techniques to preserve function and quality of life, including nerve-sparing prostatectomy for patients with prostate cancer and partial nephrectomy for patients with kidney cancer. I have experience performing both robotic and open cystectomy for patients with bladder cancer, and prefer to construct continent urinary diversions whenever possible. I have a clinical interest in the surgical management of patients with high risk and advanced disease, and have experience performing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection following chemotherapy in patients with testicular cancer, cytoreductive nephrectomy and thrombectomy for patients with metastatic kidney cancer or tumors extending into the vena cava, and salvage surgery following radiation for patients with bladder or prostate cancer.

Follow on Twitter: @FCUroOnc

Educational Background

Fellowship: Urologic Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
Residency: Urologic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
MS, Health Policy Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
MD, State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY

Certifications

American Board of Urology

Memberships

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)
- Prostate Cancer Early Detection Panel
American Urological Association
Society of Urologic Oncology

Honors & Awards

Main Line Today Top Doctors, 2018-2019

Chuck Leonard

Kidney Cancer

In August 2012, at the age of 61, Chuck Leonard was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer that had metastasized to his lungs. After seeing one doctor, Chuck decided to seek a second opinion from a specialist at Fox Chase Cancer Center, where he planned to take part in a clinical trial. However, additional testing revealed he was a candidate for surgery. Chuck also underwent radiation using Cyberknife technology at Fox Chase Buckingham after an MRI revealed the kidney cancer had spread to his brain. “In 2016, I can mark three years since I have had detectable cancer,” he said. “I’m so thankful for all the outstanding care, both medical and other, provided by Fox Chase and the caring doctors and nurses. Hopefully, my tests will continue to have good outcomes, and, if not, I know I’m getting the best care possible from Fox Chase Cancer Center.”

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Michael Laurenzi

Kidney Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer

'I am very lucky the tick bit me, because I had no symptoms and no idea that I had cancer. I have nothing but the highest regard for those doctors and their teams. They are so caring and compassionate, and they literally gave me my life back.'

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Charles Still

Prostate Cancer

Saying that Charles Still is a busy man is an understatement. A father to eight children ages 16 to 36, a business owner, and a devoted husband to his wife Debra of 37 years, Charles is a family man and was vigilant about seeing his doctor for his yearly physical exam. In July 2013, at age 57, following blood testing from his yearly physical, elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were detected, raising suspicion for prostate cancer.

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James Tetzlaff

Kidney Cancer

When he thinks back on October 28, 2013, Jim Tetzlaff realizes it would have been easy to ignore what happened and not give it another thought. “I’m a man – we have a tendency to ignore things that have to do with our health,” says Jim, who was 75 at the time. On that day, after one of his grandson’s football games, Jim went to the bathroom and saw blood in his urine. “It was upsetting, but I didn’t have any other symptoms so I thought it had to be a fluke,” recalls the former medical equipment salesman.

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Research Interests

Quality of care
Comparative effectiveness
Risk assessment
Access disparities
Surgical outcomes
Health services research

Selected Publications

Masic S.,Smaldone M.C., Robotic renal surgery for renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava thrombus. Transl Androl Urol. 10(5): 2195-2198, 2021. PMC8185684. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34159102.

Smaldone M.C., Tomaszewski J.J., Current controversies in minimally invasive urologic oncology. Transl Androl Urol. 10(5): 2149-2150, 2021.PMC8185655 (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tau-21-258). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34159096.

Correa AF, Handorf E, Joshi SS, Geynisman DM, Kutikov A, Chen DY, Uzzo RG, Viterbo R, Greenberg RE, Smaldone MC. Differences in Survival Associated with Performance of Lymph Node Dissection in Patients with Invasive Penile Cancer: Results from the National Cancer Database. J Urol, 199(5):1238-44, 2018. PubMed

Goel N, Manstein SM, Ward WH, DeMora L, Smaldone MC, Farma JM, Uzzo RG, Esnaola NF. Does the Surgical Apgar Score predict serious complications after elective major cancer surgery? Journal of Surgical Research, 231:242-7, 2018.

Smaldone, M.C., Corcoran, A.T., Hayn M.H., Konety, B.R., Hrebinko Jr., R.L., Davies, B.J. (2009). Estimation of mortality and morbidity risk in patients undergoing radical cystectomy with continent diversion using the POSSUM and Portsmouth POSSUM predictor equations. J Urol,182(6): 2619-24. PubMed

Smaldone, M.C., Cowan, J., Carroll, P.R., Davies, B.J. (2010). Comparison of eligibility for active surveillance and pathologic outcomes in men undergoing radical prostatectomy in a large community-based cohort. J Urol,183(1):138-43. PubMed

Kutikov, A., Smaldone, M.C., Egleston, B.L., Manley, B.J., Simhan, J., Boorjian, S.A., Viterbo, R., Chen, D.Y., Greenberg, R.E., Uzzo, R.G. (2011). Anatomic features of enhancing renal masses predict malignant and high-grade pathology: a preoperative nomogram using the RENAL Nephromety Score. Eur Urol, 60(2): 241-8. PubMed

Smaldone, M.C., Kutikov, A., Egleston, B., Simhan, J., Canter, D.J., Teper, E., Viterbo, R., Chen, D.Y., Greenberg, R.E., Uzzo, R.G. (2012). Assessing performance trends in laparoscopic nephrectomy and nephron sparing surgery for localized renal tumors. Urology, 80(2): 286-92. PubMed

Smaldone, M.C., Kutikov, A., Egleston, B.L., Canter, D.J., Viterbo, R., Chen, D.Y., Jewett, M.A., Greenberg, R.E., Uzzo, R.G. (2012). Small renal masses progressing to metastases under active surveillance: a systematic review and pooled analysis. Cancer, 118(4):997-1006. PubMed

Smaldone, M.C., Egleston, B.L., Uzzo, R.G., Kutikov, A. (2012). Does partial nephrectomy result in a durable overall survival benefit in the Medicare population? J Urol 188(6): 2089-94. PubMed... Expand

Kutikov, A., Egleston, B.L., Canter, D., Smaldone, M.C., Wong, Y.N., Uzzo, R.G. (2012). Competing risks of death in patients with localized renal cell carcinoma: a comorbidity based model. J Urol, 188(6): 2077-83. PubMed

Smaldone, M.C., Simhan, J., Kutikov, A., Canter, D.J., Starkey, R., Zhu, F., Nielsen, M.E., Stitzenberg, K.B., Greenberg, R.E., Uzzo, R.G. (2013) Trends in regionalization of radical cystectomy in three large northeastern states from 1996 to 2009. Urol Oncol, 31(8): 1663-9. PubMed

Tomaszewski, J.J., Uzzo, R.G., Handorf, E.A., Bekelman, J.E., Corcoran, A.T., Kutikov, A., Mehrazin, R., Smaldone, M.C. (2014) Care transitions between hospitals are associated with treatment delays for patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer. J Urol, 192(5): 1349-54. PubMed

Kim, S.P, Gross, C.P., Nguyen, P.L., Smaldone, M.C., Shah, N.D., Karnes, R.J., Thompson, R.H., Hand, L.C., Yu, J.B., Trinh, Q.D., Ziegenfuss, J.Y., Sun, M., Tilburt, J.C. (2014) Perceptions of active surveillance and treatment recommendations for low-risk prostate cancer: Results from a national survey of radiation oncologists and urologists. Med Care, 52(7):579-85. PubMed

Martin, J.M., Handorf, E.A., Kutikov, A., Uzzo, R.G., Bekelman, J.E., Horwitz, E.M., Smaldone, M.C. (2014) The rise and fall of prostate brachytherapy: Use of brachytherapy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer in the National Cancer Database. Cancer, 120(14):2114-21. PubMed

Corcoran, A.T., Handorf, E, Canter, D, Tomaszewski, J.J., Bekelman, J.E., Kim, S.P., Uzzo, R.G., Kutikov. A, Smaldone, M.C. (2015) Variation in performance of candidate surgical quality measures for muscle invasive bladder cancer by hospital type. BJU Int, 115(2):230-7. PubMed

Wang, E.H., Gross, C.P., Tilburt, J.C., Yu, J.B., Nguyen, P.L., Smaldone, M.C., Shah, N.D., Abouassally, R., Sun, M., Kim, S.P. Shared decision making and use of decision AIDS for localized prostate cancer: perceptions from radiation oncologists and urologists. (2015) JAMA Intern Med, 175(5):792-9. PubMed Collapse

Additional Publications

My NCBI

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