Clayton S. Lau, M.D.

[email protected]
(877) 460-4673
Clayton S. Lau, M.D.
Urologic Surgeon; Pauline & Martin Collins Family Chair in Urology
Clinical Expertise
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Bladder Cancer
  • Testicular Cancer
  • Robotic-assisted Surgery
  • Minimally Invasive Surgery
Research Area
  • Improving Laparoscopic and Robotically-assisted Procedures for Genitourinary Cancers
  • Artificial Intelligence in Surgery
  • Minimally Invasive Surgery for Recurrent or Locally Advanced Disease
  • Improving Quality of Life for Urologic Cancer Patients
Other Languages Spoken
Cantonese
Spanish
Academic Appointments
  • Chief, Division of Urology and Urologic Oncology
  • Director, Prostate Cancer Program
  • Head, Retroperitoneal Surgery
  • Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery
Clinical Teams
Bladder Cancer
Enlarged Prostate
Kidney and Renal Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Surgery — Urology and Urologic Oncology
Urology and Urologic Cancers Program
Surgery
Additional Contacts
  • Referring Physicians/Colleagues
    (626) 218-4206

At City of Hope since 2006, Clayton S. Lau, M.D., specializes in minimally invasive approaches to urologic oncology and reconstructive urology. He has performed over 4,000 robotic and laparoscopic procedures. He has also trained numerous surgeons in robotic surgery throughout the U.S. He is an international expert in robotic surgery and has been invited to lecture and perform robotic surgeries internationally.

Dr. Lau is known for the close, professional relationship he establishes with his patients. He goes the extra mile to make sure they know everything they need to know about their urologic malignancy treatment options – and that includes getting a second opinion.

“Second opinions are very important for any patient who has been diagnosed with cancer,” he says. “I see about 20 to 30 second opinion patients per month.”

Location

Education & Experience

Board Certifications

  • Diplomate, American Board of Urology

  • California Medical License

  • State of California Fluoroscopy Operator

Degrees

  • 2000, M.D., Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA

  • 1995, B.A., Biology, Whittier College, Whittier, CA

Fellowship

  • 2005-2006, Urologic Oncology Fellowship, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

Residency

  • 2001-2005, Tufts University Program in Urology, Urology Residency

Internship

  • 2000-2001, Tufts-New England Medical Center, General Surgery Internship

Professional Experience

  • 2017-present, Pauline & Martin Collins Family Chair in Urology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

  • 2017-present, Chief, Division of Urology and Urologic Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

  • 2015-2017, Interim Chief, Division of Urology and Urologic Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

  • 2011-present, Director, Urologic Oncology and Robotic Surgery Fellowship Program, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

  • 2011-present, Surgical Director, Kidney Cancer Program, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

  • 2011-present, Panel Member NCCN Guideline Committee for Kidney Cancer

  • 2006-present, Urologic Oncologist, City of Hope, Duarte, and South Pasadena, CA

  • 2004-2005, Clinical Instructor, Urology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA

Awards & Memberships

Awards

Memberships

  • Society of Urologic Oncology
  • American Urological Association
  • Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons
  • Los Angeles Urologic Society
  • Southwest Oncology Group

Publications

Information is obtained from Pubmed, a public database; City of Hope is not responsible for its accuracy.

  • Chu TN, Wong EY, Ma R, Yang CH, Dalieh IS, Hui A, Gomez O, Cen S, Ghazi A, Miles BJ, Lau C, Davis JW, Goldenberg MG, Hung AJ.  A Multi-institution Study on the Association of Virtual Reality Skills with Continence Recovery after Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy. Eur Urol Focus. 2023 Jun 3:S24054569(23)00122-0. doi: 10.1016/j.euf.2023.05.011. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37277274
  • Lee K, Lindenfeld L, Echevarria M, Hsu J, Wong FL, Narayan HK, Lau C, Cai L, Pal SK, Armenian SH, Rhee JW.  Cardiovascular profile of contemporary treatments of renal cell carcinoma: A single-center prospective study. Int J Cardiol. 2023 Jun 1;380:40-46. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2023.03.040. Epub 2023 Mar 21. PMID: 36958393  
  • Cerrato C, Patel D, Autorino R, Simone G, Yang B, Uzzo R, Porpiglia F, Capitanio U, Porter J, Beksac AT, Minervini A, Antonelli A, Cerruto MA, Lau C, Ashrafi A, Eun D, Mottrie A, Mir C, Meagher MF, Puri D, Nguyen M, Dhanji S, Liu F, Pandolfo SD, Kutikov A, Montorsi F, Gill IS, Sundaram C, Kaouk J, Derweesh IH.  Partial or radical nephrectomy for complex renal mass: a comparative analysis of oncological outcomes and complications from the ROSULA (Robotic Surgery for Large Renal Mass) Collaborative Group. World J Urol. 2023 Mar;41(3):747-755. doi: 10.1007/s00345-023-04279-1. Epub 2023 Mar 1. PMID: 36856832 
  • Wang X, Chan YS, Wong K, Yoshitake R, Sadava D, Synold TW, Frankel P, Twardowski PW, Lau C, Chen S. Mechanism-Driven and Clinically Focused Development of Botanical Foods as Multitarget Anticancer Medicine: Collective Perspectives and Insights from Preclinical Studies, IND Applications and Early-Phase Clinical Trials. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Jan 23;15(3):701. doi: 10.3390/cancers15030701. PMID: 36765659 
  • Melstrom LG, Zhou X, Kaiser A, Chan K, Lau C, Raoof M, Warner SG, Zhumkhawala A, Yuh B, Singh G, Fong Y, Sun V. Feasibility of perioperative remote monitoring of patient-generated health data in complex surgical oncology. J Surg Oncol. 2023 Jan;127(1):192-202. doi: 10.1002/jso.27106. Epub 2022 Sep 28. PMID: 36169200
  • Kim, A. H., Ruel, N. H., Yamzon, J., Zhumkhawala, A., Lau, C. S., Yuh, B. E., & Chan, K. Novel Antibiotic-Irrigating Wound Protector Reduces Infectious Complications in Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy with Extracorporeal Urinary Diversion. Urology. 2022 Jan; 159:160-166. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2021.10.001. Epub 2021 Oct 19. PMID: 34678310
  • Dorff T, Shen J, Ruel N, Kittles R, Lyou Y, Dandapani S, Wong J, Wu H, Pal S, Lau C, Yuh B. Prostate Cancer Characteristics and Outcomes after Prostatectomy in Asian-American Men. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2022 Feb;20(1):92-92.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2021.07.008. Epub 2021 Jul 10.PMID: 34344591
  • Motzer RJ, Jonasch E, Agarwal N, Alva A, Baine M, Beckermann K, Carlo MI, Choueiri TK, Costello BA, Derweesh IH, Desai A, Ged Y, George S, Gore JL, Haas N, Hancock SL, Kapur P, Kyriakopoulos C, Lam ET, Lara PN, Lau C, Lewis B, Madoff DC, Manley B, Michaelson MD, Mortazavi A, Nandagopal L, Plimack ER, Ponsky L, Ramalingam S, Shuch B, Smith ZL, Sosman J, Dwyer MA, Gurski LA, Motter A.J. Kidney Cancer, Version 3.2022, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2022 Jan;20(1):71-90. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2022.0001. PMID: 34991070 
  • Brady L. Miller, Mark Pachorek, Andre-Philippe Sam, Bertram Yuh, Clayton S. Lau. Oncologic outcomes in robot-assisted radical cystectomy: Where do we stand in 2021? Mini-invasive Surg 2021; 5:24.
  • Tanya Dorff, James Shen, Nora Ruel, Rick Kittles, Yung Lyou, Savita Dandapani, Jeff Wong, Huiqing Wu, Sumanta Pal, Clayton Lau, Bertram Yuh. Prostate Cancer Characteristics and Outcomes after Prostatectomy in Asian-American Men. Clin Genitourinary Cancer 2021 Jul 10; S1558-7673(21)00136-1. doi: 10.1016/j.clgc.2021.07.008.
  • Motzer RJ, Jonasch E, Boyle S, Carlo MI, Manley B, Agarwal N, Alva A, Beckermann K, Choueiri TK, Costello BA, Derweesh IH, Desai A, George S, Gore JL, Haas N, Hancock SL, Kyriakopoulos C, Lam ET, Lau C, Lewis B, Madoff DC, McCreery B, Michaelson MD, Mortazavi A, Nandagopal L, Pierorazio PM, Plimack ER, Ponsky L, Ramalingam S, Shuch B, Smith ZL, Somer B, Sosman J, Dwyer MA, Motter AD. NCCN Guidelines Insights: Kidney Cancer, Version 1.2021 J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2020 Sep;18(9):11601170. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2020.0043. PMID: 32886895
  • Banapour P, Yuh B, Chenam A, Shen JK, Ruel N, Han ES, Kim JY, Maghami EG, Pigazzi A, Raz DJ, Singh GP, Wakabayashi M, Woo Y, Fong Y, Lau CS. Readmission and complications after robotic surgery: experience of 10,000 operations at a comprehensive cancer center. J Robot Surg. 2021 Feb;15(1):37-44. doi: 10.1007/s11701-020-01077-4. Epub 2020 Apr 10. PMID: 32277400 
  • Bradshaw AW, Autorino R, Simone G, Yang B, Uzzo RG, Porpiglia F, Capitanio U, Porter J, Bertolo R, Minervini A, Lau C, Jacobsohn K, Ashrafi A, Eun D, Mottrie A, White WM, Schips L, Challacombe BJ, De Cobelli O, Mir CM, Veccia A, Larcher A, Kutikov A, Aron M, Dasgupta P, Montorsi F, Gill IS, Sundaram CP, Kaouk J, Derweesh IH. Robotic partial nephrectomy vs minimally invasive radical nephrectomy for clinical T2a renal mass: a propensity score-matched comparison from the ROSULA (Robotic Surgery for Large Renal Mass) Collaborative Group. BJU Int. 2020 Jul;126(1):114-123. doi: 10.1111/bju.15064. Epub 2020 Jun 15. PMID: 32232920 
  • Marchioni M, Berardinelli F, Zhang C, Simone G, Uzzo R, Capitanio U, Minervini A MD, Lau C, Kaouk J, Langestroer P, Checcucci E, De Luyk N, Porter JR, Gallucci M, Kutikov A, Larcher A, Mari A, Kilday PS, Rha KH, Quarto G, Perdona S, White W, Eun D, Derweesh IH, Mottrie A, Anele UA, Jacobsohn KM, Porpiglia F, Challacombe B, Sundaram CP, Autorino R, Yang B, Schips L. Effect of obesity and overweight status on complications and survival after minimally invasive kidney surgery in patients with clinical t2 renal masses. J Endourol. 2020 Mar;34(3):289-297. doi: 10.1089/end.2019.0604. PMID: 31950886

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings and reviews below are gathered from the Press Ganey Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG CAHPS) survey. CG CAHPS is a standardized survey that is used to measure a patient's experience in the physician office setting. Ratings are an average of all responses to questions about a provider's care, with five stars being the highest.
4.9
Show respect for what you say
4.8
Recommend this provider office
4.8
Provider explain in way you understand
4.8
Provider listen carefully to you
4.8
Know important info medical history
4.8
Rate provider 0-10
4.6
Spend enough time with you
02/19/25
Dr. Lau never physically examined my father. I was there. He didn't even address the hydronephrosis isssue or any possible UTI. Not sure why we even went to see him if he wasn't going to address the issues that would fall under his expertise. - Verified patient
02/18/25
Knowledgable - Verified patient
02/14/25
You guys are amazing - Verified patient
02/11/25
Dr. Lau is phenomenal - Verified patient
02/09/25
Communications are lacking - Verified patient