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Memorial Sloan Kettering medical oncologist Luis Diaz

Luis Diaz Jr., MD

Gastrointestinal Medical Oncologist

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Colon cancer
  • Rectal cancer
  • Hereditary cancers

My Specialties

  • Immunotherapy
  • Liquid biopsy
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Dr. Diaz Jr.'s Office Information
Languages: English & Spanish
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Get to Know Me

I am the Head of the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Department of Medicine. I am also a medical oncologist who cares for people with advanced colon cancer and pancreatic cancer and a researcher applying cancer genetics to find new ways to diagnose and treat the disease.

I strive to support my patients at every step of the way throughout their treatment. The patients I see are often facing a lethal diagnosis. It’s important that they feel as though, along with the rest of their treatment team, we’re all in this together. 

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My research focuses on applied cancer genetics. The more we learn about a tumor’s makeup, the more precise targets and diagnostics we can create against it — including immunotherapy treatments, which harness the body’s immune system to fight cancer. I am also very interested in how we can use cancer genetics to screen for, detect, diagnose, and monitor cancer by looking at DNA in tumor tissue and by using liquid biopsies.

With my colleagues, I am working to develop a “molecular pap smear” that is able to diagnose early-stage ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer based on these genetic markers — a crucial advance that would mean we could catch more instances of these cancers and begin treating them as quickly as possible. The test is currently in clinical trials. My hope is that we will start seeing this as part of the standard of care within the next few years.

As part of my role as Head of Solid Tumor Oncology, I am also working to improve mentorship for our young scientists and communication between researchers and departments across MSK. I am also involved in projects to improve our patients’ experience as well as their access to our unmatched cancer care.

 

What I Do at MSK

A gastrointestinal (GAS-troh-in-TES-tih-nul) medical oncologist is a cancer doctor who specializes in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. This includes anal, colorectal, esophageal, gastric (stomach), liver, and pancreatic cancers, as well as GI stromal tumors and neuroendocrine tumors.

  • Head of the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology
  • Grayer Family Chair
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Colon cancer
  • Rectal cancer
  • Hereditary cancers
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma)

My Specialties

  • Immunotherapy
  • Liquid biopsy
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, University of Michigan

Residencies

  • The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Fellowships

  • The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Board Certifications

  • Medical Oncology

Awards and Honors

  • Elected Member, National Academy of Medicine (2023)
  • AACR Team Science Award (2013, 2014, 2017)

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.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Metroplus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

City Employee Health Plans (Gold and Gold Care)

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

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.

Make an Appointment

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Current Patients
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Contact and Location

Dr. Diaz Jr. sees patients at one location.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065
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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.

See all Gastrointestinal Oncology Service doctors

Clinical Trials

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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

View Dr. Diaz Jr.'s Lab

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Diaz Jr.’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

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.

Luis Diaz Jr. discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • ChromaCode
    Equity
  • Delfi Diagnostics, Inc.
    Equity; Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)
  • Epitope
    Equity; Fiduciary Role / Position
  • Innovatus Capital Partners, LLC
    Professional Services and Activities
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
    Intellectual Property Rights
  • Neophore
    Equity; Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)
  • Quest Diagnostics
    Equity; Fiduciary Role / Position
  • Seer Biosciences
    Equity; Professional Services and Activities
  • Zydecom
    Equity

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].


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