The Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) recognized Joseph Smith, Jr, MD, William L. Bray Professor of Urologic Surgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, with the Huggins Medal, its highest honor. Dr. Smith was chosen for his lifetime contributions to the progress in treatment for patients with genitourinary neoplasms.
The Huggins Medal is named after Charles B. Huggins, MD, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1966 in recognition of his work on the hormonal treatment of prostate cancer.
Dr. Smith received the medal and presented the corresponding Huggins lecture at SUO’s 2015 Annual Winter Meeting, held December 2–4 in Washington, DC.
“I remember as an intern choosing to go into urologic surgery and to pursue urologic oncology because I wanted to do what looked to be the most challenging operations. The Society of Urologic Oncology has been my most coveted peer group, so to be recognized in this manner is an enormous honor,” Dr. Smith said.
Dr. Smith was recently named the next editor of The Journal of Urology. He performed Vanderbilt’s first robotic surgery in 2003 and has completed more than 7,000 prostatectomies since that time, along with radical cystectomies, partial nephrectomies, and bladder suspensions.
The Society of Urologic Oncology was created in 1984 to enable qualified members primarily interested in the care of patients with malignant genitourinary diseases to meet for the purpose of discussion, development, and implementation of ideas to improve care. ■
