Scot Niglio, MD

I grew up in a cancer cluster where a higher-than-expected rate of childhood cancer cases forced a temporary shutoff of water to area schools. Chemicals buried by a dye company years earlier may have leached into the town’s well water. Living through that experience got me interested in environmental protections and cancer research.

In my first oncology clinic, an exceptional physician–researcher who specialized in bladder cancer motivated me to choose the same field. My father’s own bladder cancer diagnosis while I was in residency also contributed to my decision.

As an expert in genitourinary cancers, I treat people with cancer of the bladder, kidney, prostate, testicles, ureter, urethra, and urinary tract, and rarer conditions, such as urachal cancer and renal medullary kidney cancer. I also see patients who have small cell bladder cancer, penile cancer, bladder adenocarcinoma, bladder squamous cell cancer, and adrenal cancer.

At NYU Langone, our team-based approach to treatment means each person’s cancer care is seen from numerous angles. We work closely with other specialists, including surgeons and radiation oncologists. When appropriate, we offer people the opportunity to be evaluated to participate in clinical trials.

Communicating with patients and families during the entire process is a crucial part of providing seamless cancer care. People cannot be expected to remember everything in one sitting, so in the beginning, I break things up over multiple visits. I go over information multiple times, and I am happy to take questions that come up after people leave the office. I make sure to block off extra time for conversations with patients referred by other oncologists, or people with complex cases.

I have numerous articles in peer-reviewed publications, and I have been part of many clinical trials researching treatments for bladder and urinary tract cancers. I received a National Institutes of Health Director’s Award for my work as part of the phase 1 team that developed a combination therapy that is now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a first-line therapy for advanced kidney cancer.