My areas of expertise include the treatment of primary and metastatic cancers of the liver and lung using radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, and microwave or other sources of energy. I also specialize in embolization, a procedure that deprives malignant liver tumors of a blood supply. I am helping develop new treatments for liver cancers using beads that deliver chemotherapy or radiotherapy directly to the tumor. These beads combine the therapeutic effects of radiation or chemotherapy with that of embolization. This approach offers the best therapeutic option to cancer patients who are not candidates for surgery.
My other areas of expertise include image-guided biopsies for diagnosis, and vascular access for chemotherapy (mediports and central venous catheters), hemodialysis, and other treatments.
I lecture nationally and internationally on topics such as embolization and ablation of liver tumors, particularly colon cancer metastases and hepatocellular cancer, and on ablation of primary and metastatic lung cancers.
I am involved in several multidisciplinary clinical, research, and educational activities at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. As a faculty member on the multidisciplinary hepatobiliary, colon cancer, and solid-tumor teams, I work very closely with a team of hepatobiliary, colon, and thoracic surgeons; gastrointestinal, breast, and other oncologists; and gastroenterologists and radiation therapists to determine the most appropriate treatment for patients with primary and metastatic cancer of the liver and lung.
My particular interest in research is evaluating tissue changes after ablation treatment of tumors, particularly colon cancer metastases. I have also recently published articles on the treatment of breast cancer liver metastases with radiofrequency ablation, the effect of ablation on liver tumors, the use of embolization to salvage infusion pumps in patients with colon cancer metastatic to the liver, and the use of embolization to treat primary and metastatic liver cancers. I am an investigator in an ongoing study evaluating the effect of chemotherapy-eluding beads in the treatment of liver cancer; a study examining tissue after radiofrequency ablation of colon cancer to predict treatment outcome; and a collaborative study with Dr. Nancy Kemeny to treat patients whose colon cancer has metastasized to the liver with radioembolization.
Despite my strong interest in research, my main focus remains the care of patients. Every cancer has a unique identity, so treatment must be tailored to each patient and each situation. The environment and philosophy of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center allow me and my partners in interventional radiology and image-guided therapies to offer each patient the best possible care for his or her type of cancer. The combination of excellence in clinical work and research allows us to design clinical trials that result in the best patient care.
