Karim Chamie
· Professor of Urology and Society of Urologic Oncology Fellowship Director.University of California, Los Angeles · Urology
Active 2001–2026
About
Dr. Karim Chamie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Urology at UCLA, affiliated with the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. He specializes in urologic oncology, with a particular emphasis on bladder cancer, offering comprehensive cancer care for patients with bladder, kidney, prostate, and testicular cancers. His research interests include studying factors driving the widespread underutilization of effective measures for patients with urological malignancies. Dr. Chamie completed his fellowship in the Society of Urologic Oncology at UCLA from 2009 to 2012 and his health services research fellowship at UCLA from 2009 to 2011. He earned his MD from USC School of Medicine in 2003 and his MSHS in Health Services Research from UCLA School of Public Health in 2010. His residency in urology was completed at UC Davis Medical Center between 2005 and 2009, following a surgery internship there from 2003 to 2004. He is board-certified in urology by the American Board of Urology since 2015. Dr. Chamie has contributed to research on the impact of bladder cancer diagnosis on smoking behavior, quality of care in bladder cancer patients, compliance with treatment guidelines, secondary malignancies among germ cell tumor survivors, and the risks associated with Agent Orange exposure among Vietnam War veterans. His work has been recognized in the context of recent advances, including the FDA approval of immunotherapy drug combinations for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, which was based on UCLA-led research.
Research topics
- Internal medicine
- Medicine
- Oncology
- Urology
- Anesthesia
- Intensive care medicine
- Nursing
- Pharmacology
- Surgery
Selected publications
The Journal of Urology · 2026-04-27
articleEuropean Urology · 2025-10-01
articleAnaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine · 2025-11-25
articleOpen accessBACKGROUND: Effective postoperative pain control is essential for recovery. Pain has long been considered the "fifth vital sign" in the United States, making its assessment routinely documented. However, data on pain and opioid consumption following robotic-assisted surgeries remain limited despite their widespread adoption. This study evaluated pain scores and opioid consumption in patients undergoing intermediate-risk robotic-assisted abdominal, urological, or gynecological procedures. We hypothesized that pain would be minimal (numerical rating scale (NRS < 4)) and opioid use low (<5 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) within 24 h post-surgery). METHODS: This historical cohort study included consecutive adult patients who underwent intermediate-risk robotic-assisted abdominal, urological, or gynecological surgery between 2013 and 2024. Co-primary endpoints were the maximal NRS and total opioid consumption (MME) at the end of the day of surgery (POD 0). Secondary endpoints included maximal NRS and total MME at the end of postoperative day 1 (POD 1) and the incidence of nausea and vomiting (PONV) in the post-anesthesia care unit. RESULTS: Among 9,978 cases (57% urological, 34% gynecological, 9% abdominal), median [Q1-Q3] maximal NRS and total MME were 7 [5-8] and 10 mg [5-15] on POD 0, and 6 [4-7] and 8 mg [0-12] on POD 1. PONV occurred in 11% of patients CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to the initial hypothesis, patients undergoing intermediate-risk robotic-assisted procedures experienced higher-than-expected pain scores and moderate opioid consumption on the day of surgery, emphasizing the need to optimize multimodal analgesic strategies for robotic surgery in our center.
The Journal of Urology · 2025-09-16 · 3 citations
articleOpen accessPURPOSE: In QUILT-3.032, the efficacy of interleukin-15 receptor agonist, nogapendekin alfa inbakicept (NAI), in combination with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for BCG-unresponsive high-grade papillary-only nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer was assessed. In this study, we report the 36-month follow-up among participants with BCG-unresponsive papillary disease (cohort B). MATERIALS AND METHODS: NCT03022825 is an open-label, multicenter study of patients with BCG-unresponsive high-grade Ta/T1 papillary nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer who received 400 μg NAI plus 50 mg BCG intravesically weekly for 6 consecutive weeks. The primary end point is disease-free survival (DFS) at 12 months. Progression-free survival (PFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and cystectomy avoidance were assessed. Treatment-related adverse events were assessed. RESULTS: At July 15, 2024, data cutoff, the DFS rates at 12, 24, and 36 months were 58.2% (95% CI: 46.6, 68.2), 52.1% (95% CI: 40.3, 62.7), and 38.2% (95% CI: 25.6, 50.6), respectively. The PFS rates at 12 and 36 months were 94.9% (95% CI: 86.9, 98.0) and 83.1% (95% CI: 69.5, 91.0). The DSS rates at 12 and 36 months were 98.7% (95% CI: 91.4, 99.8) and 96.0% (95% CI: 88.2, 98.7). The median DSS has not been reached. Cystectomy avoidance rates at 12 and 36 months were 92.2% (95% CI: 83.4, 96.4) and 81.8% (95% CI: 68.1, 90.1), with median time to cystectomy not reached. Most treatment-related adverse events were grade 1 to 2 (61%) with 3% grade 3 and no grade 4 to 5. CONCLUSIONS: The 12-month and 36-month DFS, PFS, DSS, and cystectomy avoidance rates demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of NAI plus BCG in the management of BCG-unresponsive papillary disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03022825.
Urology · 2025-06-12 · 1 citations
articleOpen accessSenior authorOBJECTIVE: To investigate access to high-volume centers (HVCs) for nonmetastatic muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and assesses implications of disparities on treatment outcomes. We hypothesized that socially disadvantaged patients would have limited access to HVCs, contributing to observed outcome disparities. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis using the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2004 to 2020 of patients with nonmetastatic MIBC. We categorized treatment facilities into HVCs, intermediate-volume centers, and low-volume centers based on annual case volumes. We analyzed demographic, socioeconomic, and insurance-related factors influencing access to HVCs through multivariable logistic regression. Treatment modalities, perioperative outcomes, and overall survival were compared across facility volume cohorts. RESULTS: The majority of patients (57.2%) were treated at HVCs, with significant demographic disparities observed. Black patients (OR 0.68, P < .001) and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were less likely to receive care at HVCs. Patients at HVCs experienced higher rates of radical cystectomy (OR 1.67, P < .001) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (OR 1.76, P < .001) with better perioperative outcomes, including reduced readmissions (OR 0.78, P < .001), less prolonged hospital stays (OR 0.76, P < .001), and improved overall survival (5-year survival rates: HVCs 37.7% vs low-volume centers 30.1%, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal substantial disparities in access to HVCs for MIBC treatment, particularly affecting Black and economically disadvantaged patients. HVCs have significantly improved outcomes and survival, highlighting the need for systemic interventions to improve access to high quality cancer care.
National complication and cost burden of transurethral resection of bladder tumor for bladder cancer
Urologic Oncology Seminars and Original Investigations · 2025-04-23 · 7 citations
articleInternational Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics · 2025-09-01
articleCancer · 2025-07-18 · 2 citations
articleOpen accessBACKGROUND: Agent Orange exposure (AOE) is considered a presumptive cause of prostate cancer (PCa) in the Veterans Affairs (VA) population; however, cohort studies reported inconsistent associations of AOE and PCa incidence and outcomes. In this nationwide cohort study, Vietnam veterans who received VA care were evaluated for associations of AOE and PCa incidence and adverse outcomes. METHODS: Vietnam veterans 17-25 years old during military service (1962-1971) who received VA health care between 2005 and 2020 were stratified by presumptive AOE assigned by the VA and followed until death from any cause or censoring on September 31, 2023. Multivariable Cox models permitted estimation of adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of AOE with PCa incidence, de novo metastasis (DNM), any metastasis, metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC), all-cause mortality (ACM), or PCa-specific mortality (PCSM). RESULTS: Among 2.6 million Vietnam veterans at risk for PCa, 779,472 (30%) had AOE. Compared to unexposed veterans, AOE veterans had higher PCa risk (aHR, 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.16), higher DNM (aHR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.16-1.17), any metastasis (aHR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.16-1.17), mCRPC (aHR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.16-1.17), ACM (aHR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.41-1.42), and PCSM (aHR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.16-1.17) in adjusted models. Sensitivity analyses suggested robustness of association between AOE and all-cause mortality, but selection bias could explain associations with PCa outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Presumptive AOE was associated with higher PCa incidence, mortality, and adverse outcomes. Although associations may not be causal, AOE may predict worse PCa outcomes in the Veterans Affairs.
Urologic Oncology Seminars and Original Investigations · 2025-02-27
articleJAMA Oncology · 2025-05-15 · 8 citations
letterOpen accessImportance: Postoperative radiotherapy remains underused for men with biochemical recurrence or adverse pathological features after radical prostatectomy (RP). Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may improve utilization and poses potential radiobiological advantages. Objective: To evaluate physician-reported late toxic effects and 2-year patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following post-RP SBRT. Design, Setting, and Participants: This phase 2, single-arm trial was conducted in 2 academic centers in the US and included a comparator cohort. Men with post-RP prostate-specific antigen greater than 0.03 ng/mL or adverse pathologic features were included. Data were collected from February 2018 to March 2021, and data were analyzed from January to October 2024. Interventions: SBRT delivered at 30 to 34 Gy in 5 fractions to the prostate bed. Nodal irradiation, boost to gross disease, and/or hormonal therapy were delivered per physician discretion. Main Outcomes and Measures: Late toxic effects (more than 90 days after treatment) were graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.03. PROs were measured using Expanded Prostate Cancer Index-26. The proportion of men whose PROs had decrements greater than twice the threshold for minimal clinically important difference (MCID) at any point during the first 2 years were evaluated. The longitudinal PROs for men receiving SBRT was compared with a cohort of 200 men receiving postoperative conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) using logistic regression, while adjusting for baseline scores, age, and receipt of nodal irradiation. Results: Of 100 patients treated with post-RP SBRT, the median (IQR) age was 68.5 (63.9-71.4) years, and the median (IQR) follow-up was 43 (37-53) months. Cumulative incidence of late grade 2 and 3 genitourinary toxic effects was 25% and 4%, respectively, and of late grade 2 and 3 gastrointestinal tract toxic effects was 3% and 3%, respectively. The proportion of patients with decrements more than 2-fold the MCID in PROs was 38.9% (37 of 95) for urinary incontinence, 17.9% (17 of 95) for urinary irritation, and 34.1% (31 of 91) for bowel function. Compared with the CFRT cohort, the adjusted odds ratio for patients receiving SBRT experiencing decrements more than 2-fold the MCID was 1.55 (95% CI, 0.87-2.76; P = .14) for urinary incontinence, 0.94 (95% CI, 0.46-1.94; P = .87) for urinary irritation, and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.57-1.84; P = .93) for bowel function. Conclusions and Relevance: In this nonrandomized clinical trial, post-RP SBRT was well-tolerated, with no measurably different decline in urinary or bowel PROs through 2 years compared with CFRT. Randomized studies and longer follow-up will better define the toxic effects and efficacy profile of post-RP SBRT. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03541850.
Recent grants
NIH · $125k · 2012
Frequent coauthors
- 90 shared
Mark S. Litwin
- 69 shared
Andrew T. Lenis
- 63 shared
Allan J. Pantuck
UCLA Medical Center
- 54 shared
Christopher S. Saigal
- 50 shared
Alexandra Drakaki
- 48 shared
Stephen B. Williams
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
- 46 shared
Vishnukamal Golla
- 43 shared
Lorna Kwan
UCLA Health
Education
M.D.
USC
Other, Urological training
UC Davis
Awards & honors
- Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine, 2021
- Dean's Scholar, University of Southern California Keck Schoo…
- Baxter Academic Scholarship
- Gerber Academic Scholarship
- Northern California Urological Association Resident Research…
- Resume-aware match score
- Save to shortlist
- AI-drafted outreach
See your match with Karim Chamie
PhdFit ranks faculty by your research interests, methods, and publications — grounded in their actual work, not templates.
- Free to start
- No credit card
- 30-second signup