Rodrigo Rodrigues Pessoa, MD, PhD

Prostate cancer early diagnosis and screening Biomarker development for prostate cancer risk stratification in localized and advanced disease

Associations

• Genitourinary Oncology
• Cancer Biology & Evolution Program

Education & Training

Fellowship:

• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN - Urologic oncology

Residency:

• University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO - Urology

Dr. Pessoa research interest includes the genetic and epigenetic characterization of prostate cancer and is geared towards identifying factors contributing to aggressive disease, describing the mechanisms of resistance to combination therapies, and developing urine and blood-based biomarkers for disease risk stratification. He has authored numerous peer reviewed manuscripts and book chapters in urologic oncology, is an active lecturer, and serves as a reviewer for several urologic oncology scientific journals. 

• Muniz M, Tsai LJ, Orme JJ, Bucheit LA, Basourakos SP, Wei N, Koch RM, Scharf Z, Gupta S, Kase AM, Rodrigues Pessoa R, Riaz IB, Kwon ED, Andrews JR, Childs DS. Evolution of Potentially Actionable Genomic Alterations in Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Real-World Analysis of Serial Circulating Tumor DNA Testing. Cancers (Basel). 2025 Sep.17(18). Pubmedid: 41008889. Pmcid: PMC12468080.
• Fazili A, Jazayeri SB, Rose KM, Guske C, Wen L, Durant A, Prunty M, Bukavina L, Tyson MD, Grass GD, Xu H, Spiess PE, Gilbert SM, Sexton WJ, Zemp L, Pessoa RR, Poch M, Lerner SP, Li R. Cisplatin-ineligible patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer demonstrate poor long-term survival following immediate radical cystectomy. BJU Int. 2025 Sep. Pubmedid: 40932312.
• Ham H, Hirdler JB, Bihnam DT, Mao Z, Gicobi JK, Macedo BG, Rodriguez-Quevedo MF, Schultz DF, Correia C, Zhong J, Martinez KE, Banuelos A, Ashton DS, Lagnado AB, Guo R, Pessoa R, Pandey A, Li H, Lucien F, Borges da Silva H, Dong H, Billadeau DD. Lysosomal NKG7 restrains mTORC1 activity to promote CD8+ T cell durability and tumor control. Nat Commun. 2025 Feb.16(1):1628. Pubmedid: 39952956. Pmcid: PMC11829009.
• Szymanski KW, Pessoa RR, Kim JK, Buchanan AF, Hecht SL, Walker JP, Cost NG. Lymph Node Sampling in Pediatric Renal Tumors: Survey of Current Practices and Impact of Education. Urology. 2025 Feb.196:222-227. Pubmedid: 39424234.
• Obermayer A, Davis J, Talada DP, Teng M, Eschrich S, Yin V, Spakowicz D, Dhrubo D, Rounbehler RJ, Churchman ML, Tarhini AA, Wang X, Gupta S, Markowitz J, Goecks J, Li R, Rodriguez-Pessoa R, Manley BJ, Tan AC, Grass GD, Chen DT, Shaw TI. ShinyEvents: harmonizing longitudinal data for real world survival estimation. Res Sq. 2025 Aug. Pubmedid: 40799741. Pmcid: PMC12340904.
• Herrera-Caceres JO, Wettstein M, Matin SF, Labbate C, Potretzke A, Rodriguez R, Singla N, Pallauf M, Huang W, Nagpal S, Kleinmann N, Shvero A, Small A, Green B, Linehan J, Choe J, Shah O, Rai A, Kaimakliotis H, Tachibana I, Canes D, Perecman A, Raman JD. Outcomes of endoscopic management for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: A multi-center international cohort analysis. Urol Oncol. 2025 Aug. Pubmedid: 40858459.
• Nabavizadeh R, Rodrigues Pessoa R, Cheville JC, Lohse CM, Costello BA, Lucien F, Thompson RH, Boorjian SA, Leibovich BC, Sharma V. Renal Cell Carcinoma With Venous Tumor Thrombus Has a Predilection for the Lungs. Urology. 2025 Apr.198:68-74. Pubmedid: 39733848.
• Kiani K, Kim SP, Pessoa RR, Gershman B, Gonzalez C, Molina E, Warren A, DaSilva RD, Chapin B, Ballon-Landa E. Association of Frailty and Complications Following Prostate Biopsy: Results From a Population-Based, Privately Insured Cohort. Urol Pract. 2024 Jan.11(1):117-122. Pubmedid: 37914379. Pmcid: PMC11634022.
• Rodrigues Pessoa R, Nabavizadeh R, Shah P, Frank I, Tollefson M, Sharma V, Rangel LJ, Cheville JC, Karnes RJ, Boorjian SA. Relative impact of lymph-node metastasis and seminal vesical invasion on oncologic outcomes following radical prostatectomy. Prostate Cancer P D. 2024 Dec.27(4):674-679. Pubmedid: 37714961.
• Hannemann A, Pessoa RR, Flaig T, Kuna EM, Warren A, Robin T, Kim SP, Ballon-Landa E. Cost of upper tract imaging obtained during hematuria evaluation: Analysis of a national claims database. Urol Oncol. 2024 Aug.42(8):246.e1-246.e5. Pubmedid: 38679529. Pmcid: PMC11648274.
• Rodrigues Pessoa R, Zhang H, Zganjar A, Nabavizadeh R, Packiam VT, Lohse CM, Cheville JC, Pagliaro LC, Costello BA, Boorjian SA, Thompson RH, Lucien F, Dong H, Leibovich BC. Circulating antigen-primed cytotoxic T-cells in patients with renal tumors treated with surgery. Urol Oncol. 2023 Sep.41(9):393.e1-393.e7. Pubmedid: 37414595.
• Pessoa RR, Nabavizadeh R, Quevedo F, Joyce DD, Lohse CM, Sharma V, Costello BA, Boorjian SA, Thompson RH, Leibovich BC, Cheville JC. The Impact of Metastasis Histopathology on Oncologic Outcomes for Patients With Surgically Resected Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma. J Urol. 2023 Oct.210(4):611-618. Pubmedid: 37338930.
• Nabavizadeh R, Rodrigues Pessoa R, Dumbrava MG, Packiam VT, Thapa P, Tarrell R, Tollefson MK, Jeffrey Karnes R, Frank I, Khanna A, Shah P, Sharma V, Boorjian SA. Cutaneous Ureterostomy Following Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer: A Contemporary Series. Urology. 2023 Nov.181:162-166. Pubmedid: 37689248.
• An Z, Hsu MA, Gicobi JK, Xu T, Harrington SM, Zhang H, Pavelko KD, Hirdler JB, Lohse CM, Nabavizadeh R, Pessoa RR, Sharma V, Thompson RH, Leibovich BC, Dong H, Lucien F. A Novel PD-L1 Antibody Promotes Antitumor Function of Peripheral Cytotoxic Lymphocytes after Radical Nephrectomy in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma. J Immunol. 2023 Jun.210(12):2029-2037. Pubmedid: 37163328. Pmcid: PMC10615852.
• Mahmoud AM, Nabavizadeh R, Rodrigues Pessoa R, Garg I, Orme J, Costello BA, Cheville J, Lucien F. Antibody-Based Therapeutics for the Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma: Challenges and Opportunities. Oncologist. 2023 Apr.28(4):297-308. Pubmedid: 36745503. Pmcid: PMC10078913.
• Morrison JC, Sax-Bolder A, Gershman B, Konety B, Clark PE, Gonzalez CM, Bronsert MR, Lloyd G, Pessoa RR, Ballon-Landa E, Kim SP. Geographic Variation of Infectious Complications Following Prostate Biopsy in The United States: Results From a Population-Based Cohort of Privately Insured Patients. Urology. 2022 Oct.168:27-34. Pubmedid: 35809698.
• Rodriguez-Homs M, Pessoa RR, Konety B, Gershman B, Clark PE, Bronsert M, Flaig TW, Tevis SE, Lloyd G, Morrison JC, Kim SP. Association of Surgical Approach and Urinary Diversion in Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer With Costs and Readmission: Results From a Large Private Health Insurance Cohort. Urol Pract. 2022 Nov.9(6):551-558. Pubmedid: 37145811.
• Pessoa RR, Kim SP. EDITORIAL COMMENT. Urology. 2022 May.163:118. Pubmedid: 35636842.
• Pessoa RR. Editorial Comment. J Urol. 2022 Apr.207(4):788. Pubmedid: 34982588.
• Barqawi AB, Rodrigues Pessoa R, Crawford ED, Al-Musawi M, MacDermott T, O'Donell C, Kendl RM. Boosting immune response with GM-CSF optimizes primary cryotherapy outcomes in the treatment of prostate cancer: a prospective randomized clinical trial. Prostate Cancer P D. 2021 Sep.24(3):750-757. Pubmedid: 33558662.
• Rodrigues Pessoa R, Mueller AC, Boxley P, Flaig TW, Piper C, Konety B, Yu JB, Gershman B, Kukreja J, Kim SP. Systematic review and meta-analysis of radiation therapy for high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Urol Oncol. 2021 Nov.39(11):786.e1-786.e8. Pubmedid: 33846085.
• Pessoa RR, Maroni P, Kukreja J, Kim SP. Comparative effectiveness of robotic and open radical prostatectomy. Transl Androl Urol. 2021 May.10(5):2158-2170. Pubmedid: 34159098. Pmcid: PMC8185666.
• Pessoa RR, Maccini MA, Caldwell BT, Maroni PD, Cost NG. Optimal Approach to Small Unilateral Testicular Nodules-Can We Reliably Predict Tumor Histology Based on Size?. Urol Pract. 2021 Jan.8(1):119-124. Pubmedid: 37145441.
• Rodrigues Pessoa R, Morrison JC, Konety B, Gershman B, Maroni P, Kukreja JB, Cost N, Flaig T, Kessler E, Sharma P, Kim SP. National trends in clinical and pathologic staging for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: Implications for neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Urol Oncol. 2021 Dec.39(12):832.e9-832.e15. Pubmedid: 33820697.
• Gershan B, Rodrigues-Pessoa R, Kim SP. Editorial Comment. J Urol. 2020 Oct.204(4):817. Pubmedid: 32703055.
• Barqawi A, Pessoa RR, Al-Musawi M, MacDermott T, O'Donnell CI. The Impact of Performing a 3D Mapping Biopsy Prior to Primary Cryotherapy for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer. Urology. 2020 Oct.144:171-176. Pubmedid: 32711012.
• Rodrigues Pessoa R, Urkmez A, Kukreja N, Baack Kukreja J. Enhanced recovery after surgery review and urology applications in 2020. BJUI Compass. 2020 Mar.1(1):5-14. Pubmedid: 35474909. Pmcid: PMC8988792.
• Pessoa R, Navai N, Kukreja JB. EDITORIAL COMMENT. Urology. 2020 Jan.135:64-65. Pubmedid: 31895682.
• Cherullo EE, Pessoa RR, Kim SP. EDITORIAL COMMENT. Urology. 2020 Aug.142:104-105. Pubmedid: 32709438.
• Pessoa RR, Kukreja J. Editorial Comment. J Urol. 2019 Dec.202(6):1253. Pubmedid: 31469612.
• Pessoa RR, Autorino R, Laguna MP, Molina WR, Gustafson D, Nogueira L, da Silva RD, Werahera PN, Kim FJ. Laparoscopic Versus Percutaneous Cryoablation of Small Renal Mass: Systematic Review and Cumulative Analysis of Comparative Studies. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2017 Oct.15(5):513-519.e5. Pubmedid: 28442227.
• Pessoa RR, Viana PC, Mattedi RL, Guglielmetti GB, Cordeiro MD, Coelho RF, Nahas WC, Srougi M. Value of 3-Tesla multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and targeted biopsy for improved risk stratification in patients considered for active surveillance. BJU Int. 2017 Apr.119(4):535-542. Pubmedid: 27500389.
• Cordeiro MD, Coelho RF, Chade DC, Pessoa RR, Chaib MS, Colombo-Júnior JR, Pontes-Júnior J, Guglielmetti GB, Srougi M. A prognostic model for survival after palliative urinary diversion for malignant ureteric obstruction: a prospective study of 208 patients. BJU Int. 2016 Feb.117(2):266-271. Pubmedid: 25327474.
• Passerotti CC, Pessoa R, da Cruz JA, Okano MT, Antunes AA, Nesrallah AJ, Dall'oglio MF, Andrade E, Srougi M. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: initial experience in Brazil and a review of the literature. Int Braz J Urol. 2012 Jan.38(1):69-76. Pubmedid: 22397788.