Pictured: Geoffrey Ku

Geoffrey Y. Ku, MD

Gastrointestinal Oncologist & Cellular Therapist

My Role at MSK

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Gastrointestinal Malignancies
  • New Chemotherapies
  • Esophageal and Gastric Cancers

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About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Associate Attending Physician
Get To Know Me

I am a medical oncologist who cares for people with cancer in the gastrointestinal tract, including:

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I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. I completed an internal medicine residency at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital at Weill Cornell, followed by a medical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). I also spent an additional year at the Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at MSK. My research in that time focused on translational correlative assays for the then new field of immunotherapy.

Now, my research focuses on developing new treatments for people with esophageal and gastric cancers. I am interested in exploring the combination of chemotherapy and radiation to treat esophageal cancer. I am also investigating cellular therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies both to cure and to minimize the symptoms of cancer.  

I feel truly privileged to be at MSK. It is a unique and empowering experience to work at an institution whose sole focus is the treatment of cancer and the exploration of ways to improve cancer therapy. We attract staff members from all over the world; all of us have the same focus and dedication to providing expert cancer care.

On a personal note, my team and I strive to treat each patient as an individual. We care for our patients in the same way that we would want our dearest family members and friends to be cared for. I recognize that I am meeting patients and their families at a time of great physical and emotional vulnerability and do my best to uphold the trust and confidence they have in us.

I am currently Head of the Esophagogastric Section in the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service. Since 2020, I have also held an appointment on the Cellular Therapy Service, where we are investigating novel cellular therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy.

Outside of MSK, I have served as a member of the Gastrointestinal Non-Colorectal Cancer Track for the Scientific Program Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). I was privileged to serve as the Track Leader for 2015–2016. I am currently a member of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) Esophagogastric Task Force and NRG Oncology’s Gastrointestinal Non-Colorectal Cancer Core Committee. I was also recently part of a panel organized by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) to help develop guidelines for the use of immunotherapy in gastrointestinal cancers.

My Role at MSK

A gastrointestinal (GAS-troh-in-TES-tih-nul) oncologist is a cancer doctor with special training in the gastrointestinal (GI) system. This includes anal, colorectal, esophageal, gastric (stomach), liver, and pancreatic cancers, as well as GI stromal tumors and neuroendocrine tumors.

A cellular therapy specialist is a doctor with special training in using cell therapies to treat health conditions such as cancer. Therapies can include chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy.

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Gastrointestinal Malignancies
  • New Chemotherapies
  • Esophageal and Gastric Cancers
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Residencies

  • NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2024)
  • Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)

Fellowships

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Medical Oncology

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield New York

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

Blue Cross Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

MSK has a tentative agreement with Cigna to continue coverage in 2024.

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

Current Patients

Request an appointment by logging on to MyMSK or calling your doctor’s office. If you aren’t registered for MyMSK, call 646-227-2593 for your Enrollment ID.

Contact and Location

Dr. Ku sees patients at two locations.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Cellular Therapy Service doctors

See all Gastrointestinal Oncology Service doctors

Clinical Trials

Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Ku’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Geoffrey Y. Ku discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • AstraZeneca
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Merck & Co Inc.
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Zymeworks Inc.
    Professional Services and Activities

If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.


This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2022 through disclosure submission in spring 2023). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


View all disclosures