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BackTable / Urology / Podcast / Episode #278

Shared Decision Making in GU Cancer Management

with Dr. Hung-Jui "Ray" Tan

When it comes to GU cancers, fear and uncertainty often shape a patient’s treatment decisions well before the clinical data does. Dr. Hung-Jui (Ray) Tan of UNC Health sits down with host Dr. Ruchika Talwar to unpack why decision-making around small renal masses, low-risk prostate cancer, and other GU conditions can be so challenging. Dr. Tan explains the concept of decisional conflict, a patient’s internal uncertainty about the “right” course of action, and how it predicts downstream satisfaction and health outcomes.

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Shared Decision Making in GU Cancer Management with Dr. Hung-Jui "Ray" Tan on the BackTable Urology Podcast
Ep 278 Shared Decision Making in GU Cancer Management with Dr. Hung-Jui "Ray" Tan
00:00 / 01:04

BackTable, LLC (Producer). (2025, December 2). Ep. 278 – Shared Decision Making in GU Cancer Management [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.backtable.com

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Podcast Contributors

Dr. Ruchika Talwar on the BackTable Urology Podcast

Dr. Ruchika Talwar is a urologic oncologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. Hung-Jui Tan on the BackTable Urology Podcast

Dr. Hung-Jui Tan is a urologist and Assistant Professor of Urology at UNC Health Care in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Synopsis

Dr. Tan shares practical, evidence-based strategies for improving decision-making conversations, from clearer framing to simple visual aids that reduce anxiety. They discuss how patients often perceive much greater risk of metastasis than what data shows, and why “turning down the temperature” is essential before discussing options. They also touch on evolving tools, including AI, that may improve how clinicians communicate risk and support patients through uncertainty.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction
01:02 - Journey to Decision Science
05:59 - Research on Decision Making
14:41 - Shared Decision Making in Practice
22:39 - Resources for Shared Decision Making
39:54 - Improving Decision-Making Conversations

Resources

Decisional conflict among patients newly diagnosed with clinical T1 renal masses: a prospective study
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11233232/

Decisional Quality in Patients With Small Renal Masses
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29574123/

Impact of renal mass biopsy on decision-making experience for clinical T1 renal masses
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41151063/

MUSIC Patient and Provider Resources for Shared Decision Making
https://musicurology.com/programs/kidney/

P3P - Prostate Cancer Shared Decision Making Resource
https://www.p3p4me.org/users/login

Best Case/Worst Case Treatment Decision Tool
https://patientpreferences.org/best-case-worst-case/

Better Conversations Treatment Decision Tool
https://patientpreferences.org/better-conversations/

The Materials available on BackTable are for informational and educational purposes only and are not a substitute for the professional judgment of a healthcare professional in diagnosing and treating patients. The opinions expressed by participants of the BackTable Podcast belong solely to the participants, and do not necessarily reflect the views of BackTable.

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