George Z. Li, MD
Surgeon
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Areas of Expertise
My Specialties
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma
- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor
- Gastric Cancer
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About Me
- Assistant Attending Surgeon
I am a surgical oncologist who cares for people with soft tissue sarcoma and stomach (gastric) cancer. I see patients in both our Manhattan and Nassau offices.
A new cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming and can cause much anxiety and uncertainty. From my patients’ first visit, I am dedicated to ensuring that everyone who comes to me for care has a clear understanding of their disease and all treatment options. I then partner with my patients to create a care plan tailored to their specific type of cancer, as well as their individual goals and preferences.
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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.
A surgeon is a doctor with special training in many kinds of surgery.
My Specialties
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma
- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor
- Gastric Cancer
Education
- MD, Duke University
Residencies
- General Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Awards and Honors
- Sarcoma Fellow, Kristen Ann Carr Fund (2022)
- Excellence in Teaching Award, Harvard Medical School (2019)
Fellowships
- Complex General Surgical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Board Certifications
- Surgery
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, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS
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
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
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
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
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.
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New Patients
Current Patients
Contact and Location
Dr. Li sees patients at three locations.
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.
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
View a list of Dr. Li’s publications.
Li GZ, Okada T, Kim YM, Agaram NP, Sanchez-Vega F, Shen Y, Tsubokawa N, Rios J, Martin AS, Dickson MA, Qin LX, Socci ND, Singer S. Rb and p53-Deficient Myxofibrosarcoma and Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma Require Skp2 for Survival. Cancer Res. 2020 Jun 15;80(12):2461-2471. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-19-1269. Epub 2020 Mar 11.
Fairweather M, Balachandran VP, Li GZ, Bertagnolli MM, Antonescu C, Tap W, Singer S, DeMatteo RP, Raut CP. Cytoreductive Surgery for Metastatic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Treated With Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: A 2-institutional Analysis. Ann Surg. 2018 Aug;268(2):296-302. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000002281.
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Li GZ, Doherty GM, Wang J. Surgical Management of Gastric Cancer: A Review. JAMA Surg. 2022 May 1;157(5):446-454. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2022.0182. PMID: 35319717.
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Li’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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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.
George Z. Li discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
No disclosures meeting criteria for time period
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 a complement to other publicly reported data and 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, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). 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].