Sean Kern M.D.

Education

Fellowship, Urologic Oncology
Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
Society of Urologic Oncology accredited
1 July 2019- 30 June 2021

Urology Residency
Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
June 2009 - July 2015

Medical School
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS)
F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
July 2005 - June 2009

Undergraduate Degree
United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, Colorado
Distinguished Graduate, Bachelor of Science, Biology
July 2001 - June 2005

Biography

Dr. Kern is a urologic oncologist and Associate Professor of Surgery in the Murtha Cancer Center at the Uniformed Services University and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He is the founding Director of the Testicular cancer Enterprise for Survivorship, Treatment, and Investigational Sciences “TESTIS” Program at the Murtha Cancer Center, USU. He is also the Program Director of the National Capital Consortium Walter Reed Urology Residency. Prior to completing an advanced fellowship in Urologic Oncology at Indiana University, Dr. Kern was a staff urologist , Urology Service Chief, and Director of Surgical Quality at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (renamed Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center) Fort Belvoir, VA, for four years. Dr. Kern's research interests are focused on the genetics of germ cell testicular cancer, surgical treatment and management of chemotherapy-resistant testicular cancer, and survivorship. He is also interested in the surgical treatment and quality of life aspects of bladder and prostate cancer. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology and a member of the Society of Urologic Oncology, American Urological Association, and Society of Government Service Urologists. Dr Kern is a member of the Board of Directors for the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation.

Dr. Kern was recognized for excellence in clinical expertise by the US Army Surgeon General's 9A proficiency designator in 2023.

Career Highlights: Positions, Projects, Deployements, Awards and Additional Publications

Caras RJ, Lustik MB, Kern SQ, Sterbis JR, McMann LP. Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy demonstrates less morbidity than open radical prostatectomy: an analysis of the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database with a focus on surgical trainee involvement. J Endourol. 2014 Mar;28(3):298-305.

McFadden JD, Sesterhenn IA, Kern SQ. Unusual Suspect: A Case Report of Tubulocystic Renal Cell Carcinoma with Features of Cystic Renal Oncocytoma. Case Rep Urol. 2019 Aug 5;2019:2919686.

Kern SQ, Lustik MB, McMann LP, Thibault GP, Sterbis JR. Comparison of outcomes after minimally invasive versus open partial nephrectomy with respect to trainee involvement utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. J Endourol. 2014 Jan;28(1):40-7

Tachibana I, Alabd A, Whaley RD, McFadden J, Piroozi A, Hassound R, Kern SQ, King J, Adra N, Rice KR, Foster RS, Einhorn LH, Cary C, Masterson TA. Postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND) for seminoma: Limitations of surgical intervention after first-line chemotherapy. Urol Oncology. Aug 2023. PMID 37543446

Tachibana I, Alabd A, Tong Y, Piroozi A, Mahmoud M, Kern SQ, Masterson TA, Adra N, Foster RS, Hanna NH, Einhorn LH, Cary C. Primary Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Stage II Seminoma: Is Surgery the New Path Forward? J Clinical Oncology. Aug 2023 PMID: 36730902

Kern SQ, McMann LP. Bilateral fibrous pseudotumors of the tunica albuginea in a pediatric patient. J. Pediatr Urol. 2012 Feb;8(1):e1-3.

Kern SQ, Cary C. Editorial Comment on “The Association of Medicaid Insurance and Affordable Care Act Expansions with Survival Among Patients with Testicular Cancer”. Urology Practice. March 2021

Kern SQ, Speir RW, Masterson TA, Cary C. Adult Non-Germ Cell Tumors of the Testis and Scrotum. AUA Update. American Urological Association. March 2022

Kern SQ, Mahmoud M, Abrams LR, Kitley WR, Chavali JS, Schmidt JP, Alabd A, Egert MC, Masterson TA, Adra N, Foster RS, Einhorn LH, Cary C. Salvage Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in the Setting of Rising Tumor Markers in Relapsed Germ Cell Tumor.

Kern SQ, Krishnan N, Speir RW, Foster R, Einhorn LH, Cary C, Masterson TA. Quantitative Assessment of Seminoma in the Testicle Among Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Tumor Patients on Operative Difficulty, Morbidity, and Pathological Outcomes at Post-Chemotherapy RPLND.

Representative Bibliography

Calaway AC, Kern SQ, Crook D, Tong Y, Masterson TA, Adra N, Einhorn LH, Foster RS, Cary C.J Percentage of Teratoma in Orchiectomy and Risk of Retroperitoneal Teratoma at the Time of Postchemotherapy Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in Germ Cell Tumors. Urol. 2021 Dec;206(6):1430-1437.

Farrow JM, Kern SQ, Gryzinski GM, Sundaram CP. Nephron-sparing management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Investig Clin Urol. 2021 Jul;62(4):389-398.

Tachibana I, Vasquez R, Mahmoud M, Kern SQ, Patel RS, King J, Adra N, Boris RS, Cary C, Rice KR. Can Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection (RPLND) be feasibly performed to prolong survival in Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) with limited lymph node involvement? An Analysis of Recurrence Patterns. Urologic Oncology. Nov 2022. PMID:36154800

Steward JE, Kern SQ, Cheng L, Boris RS, Tong Y, Bahler CD, Masterson TA, Cary KC, Kaimakliotis H, Gardner T, Sundaram CP. Clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma: Characteristics and survival outcomes from a large single institutional series. Urol Oncol. 2021 Jun;39(6):370.e21-370.e25

Kern SQ, Speir RW, Tong Y, Kaimakliotis H, Masterson TA, Bihrle R, Foster R, Koch MO, Cary C. Longitudinal Health Related Quality of Life After Open Radical Cystectomy: Comparison of Ileal Conduit, Indiana Pouch, and Orthotopic Neobladder. Urology. 2021 Jun;152:184-189.

Kern SQ, Cary C, Kaimakliotis HZ, Pedrosa J, Masterson T, Bihrle R, Foster R, Kesler K. Surgical Management of Retrocrural Disease in Germ Cell Tumors: Outcomes and Evolution of Practice. J Urol. 2021 Mar;205(3):812-819.

Cary C, Kern SQ, Jacob JM, Calaway AC, Foster RS, Einhorn LH. Management of Metastatic Pure Teratoma in Chemotherapy Naive Patients With Testicular Primaries. Am J Clin Oncol. 2020 Oct;43(10):690-693.

Kern SQ, Speir RW, Akgul M, Cary C. Rare benign and malignant testicular lesions: histopathology and management. Curr Opin Urol. 2020 Mar;30(2):235-244

Caras RJ, Lustik MB, Kern SQ, McMann LP, Sterbis JR. Preoperative Albumin Is Predictive of Early Postoperative Morbidity and Mortality in Common Urologic Oncologic Surgeries. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2017 Apr;15(2):e255-e262.

Meeks JJ, Kern SQ, Dalbagni G, Eastham JA, Sandhu JS. The prevalence of persistent prostate cancer after radiotherapy detected at radical cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer. J Urol. 2014 Jun;191(6):1760-3.