Gerald L. Andriole Jr., M.D., has been named the inaugural Robert Killian Royce, M.D., Distinguished Professor in Urologic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
“It is a privilege to recognize our most distinguished faculty with professorships,” says Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. “Gerald Andriole is among the most talented in his field. To have Dr. Andriole honored as the Robert Royce Distinguished Professor is fitting. Dr. Royce is not only an outstanding urologic surgeon but is regarded as a dedicated civic servant and truly great citizen of St. Louis and our nation.”
Andriole, chief of the Division of Urologic Surgery at the School of Medicine, the Siteman Cancer Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, is highly regarded for his expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
Andriole was installed as the Royce professor by Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.
“This professorship recognizes Gerald Andriole for his extraordinary skills as a surgeon and as a mentor,” Shapiro says. “Dr. Andriole has long been at the forefront of urologic surgery both nationally and internationally. His leadership has established the urologic surgery program as one of the top in the country. He is continuously developing new techniques and procedures to improve the care of patients, and this expertise provides exceptional educational experiences for our students.”
Andriole is a native of Hazleton, Pa., a small coal-mining town in the Pocono Mountains. He knew early on he wanted to be a urologist, just like his father. Andriole pursued an accelerated medical program at Pennsylvania State University and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, earning both a bachelor’s and a medical degree in 1978.
He did his surgical training at Strong Memorial Hospital and the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., and completed his urology residency in 1983 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Andriole was a fellow in urological oncology at the National Cancer Institute before joining the School of Medicine faculty in 1985 as an assistant professor. He became a professor in 1996 and was named division chief of urologic surgery in 1999.
“I am grateful to be chosen for this honor and thankful for the role it will play in facilitating our further work in prostate cancer research,” Andriole says. “This recognition helps boost the entire Division of Urologic Surgery. We are fortunate to have many outstanding surgeons and scientists who make important contributions to understanding urologic diseases, especially prostate cancer. Their clinical work and research studies ultimately improve the care of patients, and I am proud to be a member of this outstanding team.”
Andriole was a strong advocate for a national prostate cancer-screening program, which became a reality in 1993 with funding from the National Cancer Institute. The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial is evaluating the benefits of cancer screening in more than 150,000 Americans through 2013.
Andriole has served as chairman of the prostate committee for the trial since the study began and has been a lead author on numerous publications stemming from the trial, most recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. He also is chairman of the steering committee of the REDUCE Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial, an international study to determine whether a daily medication can reduce the risk of prostate cancer among men at increased risk of the disease.
Andriole is a member of the American Urological Association, American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Surgical Association and the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons. In 2002, he was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Urologic Oncology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, and he has been consistently listed as one of America’s Top Doctors. In addition, he is an author on more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers as well as a contributor to numerous book chapters.
Royce is a native of Mississippi. He began medical school at the University of Mississippi but transferred to Washington University, where he earned a medical degree in 1942. Royce completed an internship at the University of Chicago before entering the Army Medical Corps, where he was stationed in England and France. Royce was a battalion surgeon in an aid station during the Battle of the Bulge.
After his service ended, Royce completed his urologic residency and joined a private practice in St. Louis. He served on the School of Medicine’s clinical faculty for 40 years until he closed his private practice in 1989. Royce then became a full-time member of the Division of Urology until his retirement in 1994. He remains a clinical professor emeritus.
During his time at the School of Medicine, Royce was clinical professor of genitourinary surgery and associate professor of surgery in the urologic surgery division. He also led the urologic residency training program for 15 years and was acting head of the urologic surgery division from 1973-75.
Royce received the 1997 Washington University School of Medicine Alumni Faculty Award and the Justin Cordonnier Award for service to the Division of Urologic Surgery.
Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked third in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.