Alejandro Sanchez, MD
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Areas of Expertise
Conditions I Treat
- Kidney (renal cell) cancer and conditions
- Metastatic kidney cancer
- von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease
My Specialties
- Open surgery
- Nephrectomy
- Partial nephrectomy
Get to Know Me
I am a urologic surgeon who cares for people with kidney cancer (renal cell cancer), including both early-stage and complex cases.
I have a special focus on treating advanced kidney cancers that involve the inferior vena cava (a large vein that carries blood back to the heart), as well as hereditary kidney cancers such as von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome and other high-risk conditions.
I see patients at Memorial Hospital, the main hospital at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), and at the Sidney Kimmel Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancer in New York City.
I work closely with a team of different experts to develop treatment plans that are tailored for each person. For some patients, surgery is the only treatment that is needed. For others, surgery is part of a broader plan that may include other treatments such as immunotherapy (treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer) and/or targeted therapy (treatment targeted to the tumor biology). I will guide you through your options and help you understand what approach is best for you.
As your surgeon, I will take the time to understand your goals and priorities. I believe in in making decisions together about your care. I want you and your loved ones to feel informed and confident every step of the way. My goal is for every person to feel supported, respected, and cared for like family.
In addition to my clinical work, I am a surgeon-scientist. My research focuses on understanding why kidney cancer develops and how factors like obesity may influence cancer growth and treatment response. This work aims to identify new ways to prevent kidney cancer and improve outcomes for our patients.
I chose this field because of the many unanswered questions in kidney cancer and the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. My interest became deeply personal when my mother was diagnosed with kidney cancer during my surgical training. That experience has shaped how I care for patients today. It has also reinforced my commitment to helping patients and families navigate complex decisions with clarity and compassion.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two daughters. I also enjoy trying new restaurants (especially Colombian), biking, weightlifting, and hiking.
I'm a urologic surgeon, which is a doctor with special training in surgery on the genitourinary (jeh-nih-toh-YOOR-ih-nayr-ee) (GU) system. This includes the bladder, kidney, penis, prostate, and testicles.
- Associate Member, Attending Surgeon
Conditions I Treat
- Kidney (renal cell) cancer and conditions
- Metastatic kidney cancer
- von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease
- Hereditary cancers
My Specialties
- Open surgery
- Nephrectomy
- Partial nephrectomy
- Thrombectomy
Education
- MD, Harvard Medical School
Residencies
- Urologic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital
Fellowships
- Urologic Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Board Certifications
- Diplomat of the American Board of Urology
Awards and Honors
- Translational Research Scholar Award, Huntsman Cancer Institute (2025)
- Early Surgeon-Scientist Program, National Cancer Institute (2022-2025)
- Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Basic Science, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2019)
- Young Investigator Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology (2018)
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.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS
In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
This is a dual payer plan, which means 2 health insurance companies share this plan. MSK providers are out-of-network with UnitedHealthcare.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO
In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government
In Network Coverage Type
HMO (City Employee Health Plans Gold and Gold Care Only)
In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental
In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
TBD
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
Learn more about the insurance plans that participate with MSK.
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.
Health plans can change at any time. Call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your plan covers. Make sure it covers the MSK location where you’ll get care.
If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.
Make an Appointment
Contact and Location
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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.
Clinical Trials
Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.
You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.
Search clinical trialsResearch and Publications
1. Graff RE*, Wilson K*, Sanchez A, et al. Obesity in relation to renal cell carcinoma incidence and survival in three prospective studies. European Urology (2022), 82(3):247-251.
2. Ged Y, Sanchez A, et al. Associations between pretreatment body composition features and clinical outcomes among patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated with immune checkpoint blockade. Clinical Cancer Research (2022), 28(23): 5180-5189.
3. Sanchez A*, Furberg H*, et al. Transcriptomic signatures related to the obesity paradox in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a cohort study. Lancet Oncology (2020), 21(2):283-293.
4. Hakimi AA*, Voss MH*, Kuo F, Sanchez, A, et al. Transcriptomic profiling of the tumor microenvironment reveals distinct subgroups of clear cell renal cell carcinoma: data from a randomized phase III trial. Cancer Discovery (2019), 9(4):510-525.
5. Graff RE, Sanchez A, et al. Type 2 diabetes in relation to the risk of renal cell carcinoma among men and women in two large prospective cohort studies. Diabetes Care (2018), 41(7): 1432-1437.
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Sanchez’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 PubMedPatient Reviews
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