George R. Schade, MD

“The amazing thing about research is that we can offer more hope to more patients.”

— Dr. Schade

What drew you to the field of oncology?

When I was a child, my uncle had testicular cancer, and when I was in medical school, my grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Looking back, I think their diagnoses made an impact on me and helped lead me to the field of urologic oncology. I was close to my grandpa, and we talked a lot about his experiences with his diagnosis and treatment. At one point during his care, he was scheduled for surgery, but at the last minute, his physician changed the treatment course. It didn’t make sense to us at the time, and I realized how hard the unknown can be for the patient. Drawing on my experience, I want to do better for you and make things clear, so you understand all elements of your disease and you aren’t surprised by your care plan.

What is your approach to patient care?

Building patient connections isn’t common for many surgeons, but urologic oncology allows me to form a long-term relationship with you over the course of your treatment. I truly care about my patients and want to establish a bond with you. I don’t have a big ego, and I hope I’m very approachable. My family does not have a medical background, and I’ve learned to be a better provider from their experiences. I will approach you the way I would treat my family, so you are well cared for and have your questions answered. I will share my personal understanding of the disease to provide compassionate care tailored to you.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice

Genitourinary cancers, kidney cancer

Urologic Oncology

I treat urinary, kidney, prostate and bladder cancer from the surgical realm. I perform open, laparoscopic and robotic surgery and am part of the Fred Hutch Bladder Cancer Multispecialty Clinic and the Fred Hutch Kidney Cancer Multispecialty Clinic.

In addition to seeing patients, I am an assistant professor of urology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an adjunct assistant professor at the UW Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound and Applied Physics Lab. I conduct research on noninvasive treatments aimed at improving urologic cancer diagnosis and treatment. I also study the impact of urologic cancers on patients’ quality of life and I have an ongoing clinical trial aimed at reducing post-operative pain.