About

Herbert Lepor, MD, is a professor in the Department of Urology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Martin Spatz Chair in the Department of Urology. He is also a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Lepor has been recognized as one of America’s Top Doctors by Castle Connolly for over 15 years. His career was inspired by a personal experience when he was six years old, witnessing open heart surgery that saved his brother’s life. This early event motivated him to pursue a career in medicine, a goal he has achieved for more than 40 years. At NYU Langone, he has treated over 5,000 patients with prostate cancer, with the majority being cured and maintaining quality of life after procedures such as radical prostatectomy. Dr. Lepor came to NYU Langone in 1993 to build a world-class urology department, leading innovations in prostate cancer care, including nerve-sparing techniques and the use of MRI for diagnosis and treatment planning. He is a pioneer in prostate cancer treatment, having co-developed nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy and focal therapy procedures. Dr. Lepor is known for his research in image-guided diagnostic techniques, such as MRI, to improve treatment outcomes. He actively presents his innovations at academic meetings worldwide and emphasizes the importance of patient-centered care, guiding patients through screening, detection, and treatment decisions. His work has significantly contributed to the advancement of urologic oncology, particularly in prostate cancer management.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Artificial Intelligence
• Internal medicine
• Computer Science
• Urology
• Statistics
• Biology
• Genetics
• Family medicine
• Endocrinology
• Virology
• Radiology
• Medical physics
• Cancer research

Selected publications

• Routine prostate biopsies not needed after cryotherapy if surveillance <scp>MRI</scp> is normal

  British Journal of Urology · 2025-05-14 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinically significant prostate cancer detection rate (csPCaDR) and pathological characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visible (MRIv) and MRI invisible (MRIi) cancers among men undergoing surveillance after ablative focal therapy (AFT) for intermediate-risk PCa. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 305 five men enrolled in an Institutional Review Board-approved primary partial gland cryoablation (PPGCA) outcomes registry meeting the following inclusion criteria: an MRI region of interest (ROI) Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System 2-5 concordant with unilateral intermediate-risk disease (Gleason Grade Group [GGG] 2 or 3 disease), no gross extraprostatic extension on MRI, no GGG ≥2 contralateral to the ROI, and at least 6 months of follow-up. Protocol MRI was performed at 6, 24, 42 and 60 months. Biopsy indications evolved over time. Any Gleason pattern 4 (GP4) represented a clinically significant PCa recurrence (csPCaR). Pathological disease characteristics, csPCaDR, and salvage treatments were compared for MRIv and MRIi disease. Baseline and post-treatment characteristics were compared between MRIv and MRIi csPCaR. Ordinal and binary measures were compared with Mann-Whitney rank-sum test. Categorical testing for differences was performed with chi-square testing. RESULTS: Of 665 post-treatment MRIs, 87 (13.1%) and 578 (86.9%) were positive (+ve) and negative (-ve) for csPCaR, respectively. Biopsies were taken in 62 of the 87 +ve MRIs and 179 of the 578 -ve MRIs, with a csPCaDR of 43.5% and 10.6% for +ve and -ve MRI, respectively. Of the 46 csPCaRs, 28 (61%) and 18 (39%) were associated with +ve and -ve MRI, respectively. The median linear length of GP4 for MRIv and MRIi csPCaR was 2.6 and 0.6 mm, respectively (P = 0.08). Four (14%) and eight (44%) MRIv and MRIi csPCaRs were managed with continued active surveillance (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The cost and morbidity of surveillance following PPGCA can be safely reduced by avoiding biopsy in most cases with -ve MRI.

  PublisherDOI

• Incidence, surveillance and natural history of high‐grade prostatic epithelial neoplasia in the era of multiparametric MRI and targeted biopsy

  British Journal of Urology · 2025-04-25

  articleSenior author

  OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of isolated high grade prostatic epithelial neoplasia (iHGPIN) following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-ultrasonography co-registration fusion targeted biopsy (MRFTB) coupled with systematic biopsy (SB) and to assess the detection rates of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Beginning in June 2012, most patients at our institution underwent multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) before prostate biopsy. Biopsies were performed between June 2012 and October 2021. The surveillance protocol for iHGPIN included prostate-specific antigen assessment every 6 months, digital rectal examinations annually, and multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) at 3 years. Repeat biopsies were recommended primarily for suspicious mpMRI, defined as a new Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score >2 region of interest (ROI) or an increase in size of the pre-existing ROI. RESULTS: Of the 628 biopsies, 230 (33.7%), 48 (7.0%), 404 (59.2%) were interpreted as benign, iHGPIN, or prostate cancer (PCa), respectively. Of these cancers 140 (34.7%) and 264 (65.3%) were low-risk PCa and csPCa, respectively. iHGPIN was detected in MRRFTB only, SB only, and both MRFRB + SB in six (12.5%) 36 (75%), and six patients (12.5%), respectively. Of the 32 MRI scans performed at 3 years, a new PI-RADS score >2 ROI or an increase in the size or PI-RADS score of a pre-existing ROI was observed in four and eight patients, respectively. Nine of these underwent biopsy. Three additional biopsies were performed on non-suspicious mpMRI. csPCa was detected in two patients, both with an enlarging ROI. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study examining the incidence, natural history, and subsequent csPCa detection rates for iHGPIN in the era of mpMRI and MRI targeted biopsy. The lower prevalence of iHGPIN is attributed to the selection of biopsy candidates based on mpMRI and an increased likelihood of detecting pre-existing csPCa. Our findings provide compelling evidence that biopsy strategies limited to MRI targets will almost eliminate iHGPIN detection while decreasing detection of csPCa. A 3-year biopsy should be performed only in men with suspicious mpMRI.

  PublisherDOI

• High-volume biopsy core involvement is not associated with failure after SBRT monotherapy for intermediate-risk prostate cancer

  Radiotherapy and Oncology · 2025-07-05

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Factors predicting sexual function dissatisfaction following primary partial gland cryoablation

  The Journal of Sexual Medicine · 2025-10-06

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• MRI PI-RADS Lesion Location in Transitional Versus Peripheral Zone and Impact on Acute GU Toxicity Following Prostate SBRT Microboost

  International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics · 2025-09-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• MP01-09 PREVALENCE AND NATURAL HISTORY OF HIGH GRADE PROSTATIC INTRA-EPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA (HGPIN) IN THE ERA OF MRI FUSION TARGET BIOPSY (MRFTB)

  The Journal of Urology · 2025-04-08

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• IP18-32 FACTORS PREDICTING SEXUAL FUNCTION DISSATISFACTION (SFD) FOLLOWING PRIMARY PARTIAL GLAND CRYO-ABLATION (PPGCA)

  The Journal of Urology · 2025-04-08

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Five-year Oncologic Outcomes Following Primary Partial Gland Cryo-ablation Prospective Cohort Study of Men With Intermediate-risk Prostate Cancer

  Urology · 2024-10-22 · 4 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Reply to Editorial Comment on “Predictors of Contralateral Disease in Men With Unilateral Lesions on Multiparametric MRI”

  Urology · 2024-09-03

  letter
  PublisherDOI

• Predictors of Contralateral Disease in Men With Unilateral Lesions on Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging

  Urology · 2024-07-14

  article
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R29DK043148

  NIH · $494k · 1995

• NIH Grant U01DK046416

  NIH · $3.4M · 2003

Frequent coauthors

• Ellen Shapiro

  284 shared

• Samir S. Taneja

  126 shared

• Xue‐Ru Wu

  Dalian University of Technology

  67 shared

• William C. Huang

  63 shared

• Howard M. Sandler

  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

  57 shared

• James Wysock

  56 shared

• David J. Grignon

  Indiana University School of Medicine

  55 shared

• Mack Roach

  UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

  53 shared

Labs

• NYU Langone Health - Herbert Lepor LabPI

Awards & honors

• Named One of America’s Top Doctors By Castle Connolly for 15…