Bladder cancer is the 10th leading cancer diagnosis in the United States. In 2025, there will be an estimated 84,870 new cases of bladder cancer, with 65,080 in men and 19,790 in women. July was Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, and with your help, we can support the search for a cure.
With an incredible commitment of $2.5M, Muffy Runnells established the Christopher K. Glanz Chair for Bladder Cancer Research in honor of her husband, who passed due to bladder cancer. With this gift, AdventHealth Cancer Institute can recruit and retain cutting-edge cancer researchers. Published in over 500 research studies, Dr. Guru Sonpavde joined the AdventHealth Cancer Institute team as the Medical Director of Genitourinary (GU) Oncology, Executive Medical Director of the Phase I clinical research unit (CRU) and the Christopher K. Glanz Chair for Bladder Cancer in 2022. Bringing an array of industry-sponsored, NCI cooperative Group and investigator-initiated trials to patients here in Central Florida, Dr. Sonpavde shared promising developments he and his team are making: “We’ve brought trials here that would otherwise not be available— one particularly promising technology is a neoantigen mRNA immunotherapy designed to target mutations specifically found in specific patients, for which I’m one of the global leads. That’s what I’m most excited about.”
Dr. Sonpavde focuses on drug development and translational research to cure cancers, specifically genitourinary cancers with a focus on bladder cancer; in Phase 1 clinical trials, he and his team are evaluating new and promising treatments, including targeted therapy, immunotherapy, novel antibody drug conjugates, and even introducing new radioligand therapeutic clinical trials to the institution. Early preclinical research is in the process of designing a novel treatment targeting a protein that is specific to bladder cancer cells and another treatment to make the tumor environment more conducive toward enabling an anti-tumor immune response.
This necessary research is supported in part by philanthropy, Dr. Sonpavde shared: “Philanthropic support, especially my endowed chair support, has helped me to develop new treatments in the lab which will hopefully soon go into clinical trials to treat bladder cancer.” Philanthropy, Dr. Sonpavde shared, greatly helps accelerate progress; drug development and understanding biology of the cancer is a very expensive process that takes many years, and is often slowed down by lack of resources and funding.
Dr. Sonpavde is also a member of the advisory board for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) which provides patients with critical information and resources.
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