George Z. Li, MD

As a member of the Sarcoma Disease Management Team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), I work with colleagues across medical specialties, like medical oncology, surgery, and pathology. We review each patient’s case as a team. This approach gives our patients the expertise not just of their oncologist, but of MSK as a whole. 

There are over 80 different subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma. Each subtype has unique behaviors that affect how we treat it. Our goal is to provide the best chance for cure while reducing the chance for any side effects from treatment. 

To that end, I perform organ-preserving and limb-sparing operations for tumors whenever it is safe to do so. I also work closely with medical and radiation oncologists to give surgery with other treatments that may be needed, such as chemotherapy or radiation, in the most effective way possible.

I am also a member of MSK’s Gastric Disease Management Team. Like people with sarcoma, patients with stomach cancer require a multi-specialty approach. I am fortunate to work with gastroenterologists, pathologists, and medical oncologists with expertise in this treating this disease. 

As a surgeon, my goal again is to maximize the chance for cure while minimizing any impact on short- or long-term quality of life. Surgery is often a part of treatment for stomach cancer. When possible, I offer minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery to help speed up recovery.   

In addition to caring for patients, I am actively involved in laboratory research focused on specific sarcoma subtypes, such as myxoid liposarcoma, myxofibrosarcoma, and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. By analyzing patient tumor samples for potential genetic vulnerabilities and using laboratory models to test drugs directed at these vulnerabilities, we hope to find new and improved treatments for these sarcomas.