David F. Penson, MD, MPH

Men's Prostate Health

June is Men's Health Month! One of the most important areas of men's health is prostate health...and certainly one of the scariest threats to men is prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting 1 in 6 men. Joining Dr. DeSilva to discuss symptoms, treatment and prevention is Dr. David Penson.

David F. Penson, MD, MPH is a spokes person for the American Urological Association (AUA). He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. He served as a resident in surgery and urology at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1991 through 1997. Upon completing his chief residency in urology, Dr. Penson was simultaneously awarded an AFUD Health Policy Research Scholarship and a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Fellowship. As a fellow, he studied clinical epidemiology and health services research at Yale University, obtaining a Masters degree in Public Health. Upon the completion of his fellowship, Dr. Penson joined the faculty of the University of Washington School of Medicine and was appointed affiliate investigator at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He was awarded a VA Career Development Award in 2001 and soon after obtained R-01 grant funding from the National Cancer Institute to study quality of life in prostate cancer survivors. He joined the faculty of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in January 2004 and is now Associate Professor of Urology and Preventive Medicine at this institution. He currently maintains a busy clinical practice at the USC/Norris Cancer Cancer where he specializes primarily in urologic oncology.

While his general research focus is clinical epidemiology and health services research of all urologic disease, his specific interests include the impact of prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction on patients’ quality of life. He is currently funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control to study long-term quality of life and treatment decision-making in localized prostate cancer. He has published on a wide range of topics, including prostate and bladder cancer, female urology, cryptorchidism, infertility and erectile dysfunction. Dr. Penson’s research and clinical efforts were recently recognized by the American Urological Association, which awarded him the prestigious Gold Cystoscope award, given annually to the urologist who has contributed the most to the specialty in the first 10 years after completing his/her residency.

Dr. Derrick DeSilva

2009-06-29