Inderpal S. Sarkaria, MD

I am also an expert in innovative endoscopic and image-guided techniques, including endobronchial ultrasound for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancers, radiofrequency ablation (RFA/BARRX) and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for Barrett’s esophagus, RFA and directed radiation for lung cancers, cryoablation for the treatment of airway and esophageal lesions, photodynamic therapy (PDT) for esophageal cancers, laser ablation for endobronchial disease, and airway and esophageal stents. As part of the interdisciplinary Thoracic Disease Management Team, which includes colleagues from interventional radiology, gastroenterology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology, I strive to tailor individualized treatment for patients with thoracic diseases.

My academic interests include translational research in the clinical and molecular-genetic characterization of lung and esophageal cancers (including GERD-related premalignant Barrett’s esophagus) with the goal of identifying novel targets for therapy and determining best clinical treatment practices. I have worked to help create and maintain Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s Lung Cancer Tumor Bank, which has been instrumental in advancing our knowledge of lung cancer. I have also established and maintain Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Database as part of a collaborative, international, multidisciplinary effort to better understand and treat typical and atypical lung carcinoid tumors, large cell neuroendocrine cancers, and small cell lung cancers. My current clinical research involves developing a trial to assess postoperative quality-of-life outcomes in patients suitable for minimally invasive esophagectomy, and trials to assess the use of novel endoscopic techniques for the treatment of GERD associated pre-malignant Barrett’s esophagus.

I am an active member of the major thoracic surgical societies and sit on national committees for resident and fellow education and healthcare policy.