Dr. Chen’s has published over 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals. His research focuses on the comparative effectiveness of different treatment options in prostate cancer, issues related to cancer survivorship, patient-reported outcomes and quality of life, and cancer disparities. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Department of Defense, and other funding agencies.
Dr. Chen leads or co-leads several national and international clinical trials in prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer and testicular cancer:
- Increasing the Dose of Survivorship Care Planning in Improving Care and Outcomes in Prostate Cancer Survivors Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03860961
- Testing the Addition of the Drugs, Apalutamide and Abiraterone Acetate With Prednisone, to the Usual Hormone Therapy and Radiation Therapy After Surgery for Prostate Cancer (INNOVATE): https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04134260
- Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy or Conventional Radiation Therapy After Surgery in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03274687
- BIOMARKER TRIAL of APALUTAMIDE and RADIATION for RECURRENT PROSTATE CANCER (BALANCE): https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03371719
- Chemoradiotherapy With or Without Atezolizumab in Treating Patients With Localized Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03775265
- Two Studies for Patients With Unfavorable Intermediate Risk Prostate Cancer Testing Less Intense Treatment for Patients With a Low Gene Risk Score and Testing a More Intense Treatment for Patients With a Higher Gene Risk Score: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05050084
- Standard-Dose Combination Chemotherapy or High-Dose Combination Chemotherapy and Stem Cell Transplant in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Germ Cell Tumors: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02375204
- Testing MK-3475 (Pembrolizumab) After Surgery for Localized Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer and Locally Advanced Urothelial Cancer (AMBASSADOR): https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03244384
- A Study of Androgen Annihilation in High-Risk Biochemically Relapsed Prostate Cancer: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03009981
- Immunotherapy With Nivolumab and Ipilimumab Followed by Nivolumab or Nivolumab With Cabozantinib for Patients With Advanced Kidney Cancer, The PDIGREE Study: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03793166
- Testing the Addition of a New Anti-cancer Drug, Radium-223 Dichloride, to the Usual Treatment (Cabozantinib) for Advanced Renal Cell Cancer That Has Spread to the Bone, the RadiCaL Study: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04071223
- A Clinical Study Evaluating The Benefit of Adding Rucaparib to Enzalutamide for Men With Metastatic Prostate Cancer That Has Become Resistant To Testosterone-Deprivation Therapy (CASPAR): https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04455750
- Trying to Find the Correct Length of Treatment With Immune Checkpoint Therapy (IMAGINE): https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04637594
- Immunotherapy With or Without Radiation Therapy for Metastatic Urothelial Cancer: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04936230
NC ProCESS: North Carolina Prostate cancer Comparative Effectiveness & Survivorship Study
- In 2010, Dr. Chen’s team started a project that enrolled 1,500 men with newly-diagnosed prostate cancer from across North Carolina for a prospective observational study.
- Yearly, the study team collects information on patient-reported quality of life, cancer recurrence, mortality, and long-term issues related to cancer survivorship and overall health.
Multiple high-impact publications have resulted from this project. Some examples include:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33453308/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32329252/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31256432/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30857758/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30695113/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30539735/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29660795/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29045679/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28324092/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28208186/
Research using insurance claims data: Dr. Chen’s team has expertise in analyzing large datasets including insurance claims data (e.g. SEER-Medicare) to answer research questions related to comparative effectiveness, patterns of care, cancer disparities, and costs of cancer care. Most recently, the research team has used insurance claims data to examine how COVID has impacted cancer care across the US.
Multiple high-impact publications have resulted from this research. Some examples include:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34792526/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33914015/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28954284/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30242397/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30099129/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27352280/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26957641/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25670199/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25657192/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25539365/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24411605/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23689844/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22511689/
Dr. Chen welcomes opportunities to support undergraduate students, medical students, postdoctoral researchers, residents, fellows, junior faculty and visiting scholars.
Please contact Dr. Chen at: rchen2@kumc.edu