Duan Li, MD

When I joined the Memorial Sloan Kettering faculty in January 2008, the only ultrasound-guided biopsies performed were of the thyroid. Since then, I have extended this service to include biopsies of the abdomen, pelvis, musculoskeletal organs, and lymph nodes. I have also initiated a program of transvaginal ultrasound-guided biopsies. Ultrasound-guided biopsies often provide a safer, quicker, more-comfortable experience for the patient, with a quicker recovery time, than when CT and fluoroscope guidance is required.

I further use transvaginal and transrectal ultrasound to guide IR procedures in the operating room. I work closely with gynecologists in the operating room to rebuild the cervical canal in patients with cervical cancer, thereby facilitating pregnancy and monitoring of the uterus.

In the research realm, I am fine-tuning fusion techniques in which ultrasound, CT, and MRI images are correlated and superimposed one on top of the other to pinpoint lesions with great precision. I am also investigating the utility of elastography, which employs the principle that cancerous tissue is stiffer than normal tissue, with the end-goal of minimizing unnecessary biopsies. These techniques have useful implications in the operating room in providing guidance for tumor ablation, pelvic lymph node dissection, and prostate surgery.

Administratively, I am currently an active member of the Hepatobiliary Disease Management Team at Memorial Sloan Kettering and also serve on the Department of Radiology Research and Quality Assurance Committees. I also received the 2013 Clinical Excellence Award from the Department of Radiology for my work.  

Above all, I continue to seek ways to use radiology techniques in order to enhance patient comfort and well- being.