Benoit Rousseau

Benoit Rousseau, MD, PhD

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Colon cancer
  • Rectal cancer
  • Colorectal cancer and conditions
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Our Care Advisors can answer many of your questions. They will connect you with the best healthcare provider for your needs.

Get to Know Me

I’m a medical oncologist with special training in treating people with gastrointestinal cancers. These are cancers that affect the digestive system, and include:

I have a special focus on young onset gastrointestinal cancers, which are diagnosed in people under the age of 50. I’m also an expert in hereditary cancers, including Lynch syndrome and polyposis syndromes.

I see patients at Memorial Hospital, the main hospital at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and also at MSK Westchester. I work closely with patients and their families to develop treatment plans tailored to their needs. When appropriate, I offer them access to the latest clinical trials.

As a physician-scientist, my research combines cancer genetics and immunology to better understand why tumors develop. I also study how cancers interact with the immune system, and why gastrointestinal cancers are becoming more common in younger adults.

I work to bring discoveries from the laboratory to clinical trials and new treatment options for patients.

What I Do at MSK

I'm a gastrointestinal (GAS-troh-in-TES-tih-nul) medical oncologist, which is a cancer doctor who specializes in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. This includes anal, colorectal, esophageal, gastric (stomach), liver, and pancreatic cancers. We also treat GI stromal tumors and neuroendocrine tumors.

  • Assistant Attending Physician
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Colon cancer
  • Rectal cancer
  • Colorectal cancer and conditions
  • Anal cancer
  • Appendiceal (appendix) cancer and conditions
  • Small bowel tumors and polyps
  • Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors
  • Hereditary cancers
This list shows some key areas of focus, but it may not cover all expertise. When making an appointment, you will be matched with the best healthcare provider for your needs.
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Sorbonne University Medical School
  • PhD, Paris Est University
  • Bachelor of Science & Master of Science, Ecole Normale Superieure Paris Saclay

Residencies

  • Medical Oncology, Paris hospitals, Sorbonne University

Fellowships

  • Paris Est University, Henri Mondor Hospital

Awards and Honors

  • Names Family Foundation Award (2026)
  • Dr. Steve Rosenberg Scholar Award, Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer (2024)
  • Department of Defense, Career Development Award (2023)

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.

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

Current Patients
Request an appointment by calling your Care Team or messaging them in MSK MyChart.

Contact and Location

Office Phone
Location
West Harrison, NY
New York, NY
500 Westchester Avenue West Harrison NY 10604
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065

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 Gastrointestinal Oncology Service doctors

Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
Find a Clinical Trial for You

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 trials

Research and Publications

  1. Rousseau B, et al. The Duration of Immunotherapy for Mismatch Repair-Deficient Cancers. N Engl J Med. 2025 Feb 20;392(8):824-826. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2409154. PubMed PMID: 39970404; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12208649.
  2. Cercek A, Foote MB, Rousseau B, et al. Nonoperative Management of Mismatch Repair-Deficient Tumors. N Engl J Med. 2025 Jun 19;392(23):2297-2308. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2404512. Epub 2025 Apr 27. PubMed PMID: 40293177; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12661660.
  3. Rousseau B, et al. PD-1 Blockade in Solid Tumors with Defects in Polymerase Epsilon. Cancer Discov. 2022 Jun 2;12(6):1435-1448. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0521. PubMed PMID: 35398880; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9167784.
  4. Rousseau B, Foote MB, et al. The Spectrum of Benefit from Checkpoint Blockade in Hypermutated Tumors. N Engl J Med. 2021 Mar 25;384(12):1168-1170. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2031965. PubMed PMID: 33761214; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8403269.
Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Rousseau’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