Novel Molecular Therapeutics in Bladder Cancer
Meng is interested in developing novel therapeutic interventions for bladder cancer and initiating clinical trials using these agents. Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD has discovered that targeting the telomerase within cancer cells is able to effectively kill the cancer cells. In collaboration Meng and Blackburn are investigating methods of delivering novel agents into the bladder to treat bladder cancer. Current studies are examining this approach in animal models as well as human tumor specimens.
Molecular Predictors of Prostate Cancer
Although many clinical methods of assessing prostate cancer exist, few molecular markers for disease behavior have been identified. Meng investigated the role of MCM2, a novel protein involved in DNA replication in the prostate. He discovered that MCM2 is overexpressed in prostate cancers but not within normal or hyperplastic tissue. Moreover, the level of MCM2 in the specimen after prostatectomy was able to accurately predict how patients fared after surgery. MCM2, as well as other molecular markers, are important in determining the prognosis in patients with prostate cancer and may help lead to discovery of crucial steps in prostate cancer development.
Minimally Invasive Approaches to Urologic Cancer
The revolution in minimally invasive surgery (laparosopy) has expanded to include all areas of urology, including oncology. Meng has had a long-standing interest in the application of laparoscopy for treating cancers of the urologic system. During his fellowship he performed laparoscopic surgery for cancers of the kidney, ureter, bladder, adrenal gland, and prostate. Meng helped develop and perform novel minimally invasive operations, publishing over 13 manuscripts on the topic. His main area of laparoscopic interest is the pathologic examination of specimens for cancer after laparoscopy and studying the outcomes in these patients.
He then attended the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. Meng obtained his general surgery and urology training at the University of California San Francisco. Subsequently, he combined his interest in urologic oncology and minimally invasive surgery, completing fellowships in both under the guidance of Peter Carroll, MD, MPH and Marshall Stoller, MD. Upon completion of his fellowships Meng has continued as UCSF faculty specializing in urologic cancers and laparoscopy. He is part of the multidisciplinary urologic oncology team of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center located at the Mission Bay Medical Center. He also operates at San Francisco General Hospital. Meng teaches laparoscopic techniques at the UCSF Urologic Laparoscopy course, and he has moderated the laparoscopy session at the Western Section of the AUA. Meng has written over 50 peer-reviewed publications and 9 chapters covering many aspects of oncology, minimally invasive surgery, and renal trauma. And, in 2013, he was named Chief of Urologic Oncology.

In 2015 Maxwell Meng, MD was named Assistant Editor of The Journal of Urology, the official journal of the American Urological Association. In his role as one of the fourteen assistant editors, he will help manage review of bladder, kidney and testis cancer submissions.

Click here for an interview with Dr. Meng and Nathan Adrian, the American competitive swimmer and 8-time Olympic medalist on the importance of regular self-testicular exams.
Meng's clinical interests include the diagnosis and management of genitourinary malignancy, and minimally invasive treatment of benign and malignant diseases. He has experience with robotic surgery and is actively involved in the development of new technologies. Meng is an active member of the American Urological Association (AUA), an active member of the Western Section of the AUA, and a candidate member of the American College of Surgeons.