About
Evan Kovac
I am a board-certified and fellowship-trained urologic oncologist, specializing in the evaluation and treatment of cancers of the urinary tract, including prostate, kidney, bladder, testicular, adrenal and penile cancers. I earned my medical degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and also completed my residency in Urology at McGill. I then completed a two-year fellowship in Urologic Oncology and Robotics at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH.
I am experienced in the latest diagnostic modalities and have specific expertise in transperineal ultrasound-MRI fusion biopsy (link to TP biopsy service page) for the diagnosis of prostate cancer, and single-port robotic surgery (link to robotic service page) for the treatment of prostate, kidney, adrenal and bladder cancers.
I am currently an Associate Professor, the Director of Urologic Oncology and the Associate Program Director of the urology residency program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey. I proudly won ‘Teacher of the Year’ during my tenure at Montefiore Medical Center in 2021 and have a specific passion for teaching and mentoring medical students and residents.
I have authored more than 35 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters on urologic oncology, presented over 30 abstracts at national and international meetings, and working to optimize prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for the early detection of prostate cancer. In addition, I published an online training module for performing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for the treatment of metastatic testicular cancer that is accessible to surgical trainees worldwide.
Prior to joining Rutgers, I practiced in New York at Montefiore Medical Center and was an Assistant Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. While at Montefiore, I led a collaboration with primary care physicians to create a novel prostate cancer screening decision aid designed specifically for multi-ethnic, underserved communities. I also led the establishment of a first-of-its-kind prostate cancer center in the Bronx. I have since created a similar decision aid at Rutgers (link to PSA screening decision aid).
My current responsibilities include expanding clinical and research programs at Rutgers, such as clinical trial development/participation and increasing prostate cancer and PSA screening awareness, especially among high-risk, minority populations. Since joining Rutgers, I have spearheaded the creation of a prostate cancer service line that includes screening, diagnostics, molecular biomarkers and genomics.
Clinical Expertise
• Surgical Techniques
o robotic surgery (including single-port)
o laparoscopic surgery
o endoscopy
• Prostate Cancer
o transperineal MRI-ultrasound fusion biopsy
o active surveillance
o genomics
o robotic prostatectomy
• Prostate Disease
o benign (non-cancerous) prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (enlarged prostate)
• Bladder Cancer
o transurethral removal of bladder tumor
o robotic and open radical cystectomy (removal of urinary bladder)
o urinary diversion
• Kidney Cancer
o robotic partial nephrectomy (partial removal of kidney)
o robotic, laparoscopic
o open radical nephrectomy (complete removal of kidney)
• Testicular Cancer
o radical orchiectomy (removal of testicle)
o retroperitoneal lymph node dissection
• Adrenal Cancer
o benign diseases of the adrenal gland
o robotic adrenalectomy
• Penile Cancer