Nai-Kong V. Cheung, MD, PhD
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Areas of Expertise
Conditions I Treat
- Pediatric cancers
- Neuroblastoma
My Specialties
- Pediatric cancer care
- Immunotherapy
- Pediatric bone marrow transplant
Get to Know Me
I am a pediatric oncologist at MSK Kids who specializes in immunologic approaches to diagnose and treat pediatric cancers. My main focus is the treatment of neuroblastoma, a tumor arising from primitive cells of the sympathetic nervous system which primarily affects young children.
My colleagues and I have developed therapies that combine multiple approaches, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, isotretinoin (a chemical cousin of vitamin A), and more importantly, targeted therapy with a form of immune treatment called monoclonal antibodies. These strategies have dramatically extended the lives of our patients with metastatic neuroblastoma. Today, more than 50 percent of these patients treated at MSK Kids survive the disease, compared with fewer than 5 percent in the 1980s. In fact, immunotherapy has now become the standard of care for patients with metastatic neuroblastoma. Moreover, localized neuroblastoma is now considered a curable cancer, and many patients with this stage of the disease are cured with surgery alone.
Our team is also actively involved in early-phase clinical trials of promising therapies, including biologic agents and vaccines, natural killer cells, and combinations of these novel approaches with conventional treatments. We hope that effective new strategies for neuroblastoma will serve as a model for the treatment of other metastatic solid tumors in children and adolescents.
In the laboratory, we are evaluating markers of “minimal residual disease” (low levels of cancer remaining after treatment), which may predict the risk of early metastasis and recurrence, and discovering novel treatment targets in tumors. We are also engineering the next generation of antibodies to make them more potent and “human-like,” as well as arming these antibodies with either T lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) or radioactive substances to diagnose and treat neuroblastoma. We believe many of these innovative antibodies may be useful for treating other solid tumors in adolescents and even those in adults.
We are assessing new drugs that may overcome the resistance that neuroblastoma often develops after prolonged chemotherapy. We are also trying to unearth the genetic and biochemical features of neuroblastoma to determine if a tumor’s profile at the time of diagnosis, metastasis, or relapse can tell us how aggressive the tumor may be, and what kind of therapy may be most effective. Our major thrust continues to be the translation of novel therapies from the laboratory to the clinic, where they may help our patients.
The team of experts at MSK Kids treats more patients with neuroblastoma than any other institution in the world. Using treatment approaches based on the findings of rigorous medical research, we are able to achieve better outcomes for our patients. Families who come to us benefit from the dedication and compassion of individuals from various disciplines who share the vision and the desire to eliminate this devastating disease.
I'm a pediatric hematologist-oncologist, which is a doctor who treats cancers and blood diseases in children, adolescents, and young adults.
- Enid A. Haupt Chair of Pediatric Oncology
Conditions I Treat
- Pediatric cancers
- Neuroblastoma
My Specialties
- Pediatric cancer care
- Immunotherapy
- Pediatric bone marrow transplant
- Pediatric cellular therapy
- Clinical trials
- Early-phase clinical trials
Education
- MD, Harvard Medical School
- PhD, Harvard Medical School
Residencies
- Pediatrics - Stanford University
Fellowships
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology - Stanford University
Board Certifications
- Pediatrics
- Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
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, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS
In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
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
HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
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
HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
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 EPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
In Network Coverage Type
TBD
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO
In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
City Employee Health Plans (Gold and Gold Care)
In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental
In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS
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.
Contact and Location
Dr. Cheung sees patients at one location.
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
- Clinical Trials Investigated by Dr. Cheung
- Molecular Characterization of Neuroblastic Tumors and Clinical Outcome
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
Santich BH, Cheal SM, Ahmed M, McDevitt MR, Yang G, Ouerfelli Q, Veach DR, Fung EK, Patel M, Vargas DB, Malik AA, Guo HF, Zanzonico PB, Monette S, Michel AO, Rudin CM, Larson SM, Cheung NK. A Self-Assembling and DisAssembling (SADA) bispecific antibody (BsAb) platform for curative 2-step pre-targeted radioimmunotherapy Clin Can Res, 2020;27(2):532-541. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-2150
Gundem G, Levine MF, Roberts SS, Cheung IY, Medina-Martínez JS, Feng Y, Arango-Ossa JE, Chadoutaud L, Rita M, Asimomitis G, Zhou J, You D, Bouvier N, Spitzer B, Solit DB, Dela Cruz F, LaQuaglia MP, Kushner BH, Modak S, Shukla N, Iacobuzio-Donahue CA, Kung AL, Cheung NV, Papaemmanuil E. Clonal evolution during metastatic spread in high-risk neuroblastoma. Nat Genet. 2023 Jun;55(6):1022-1033. doi: 10.1038/s41588-023-01395-x.
Park JA, Espinosa-Cotton M, Guo HF, Monette S, Cheung NKV. Targeting tumor vasculature to improve antitumor activity of T cells armed ex vivo with T cell engaging bispecific antibody. J Immunother Cancer 2023 Mar;11(3):e006680. doi:10.1136/jitc-2023-006680.
Chung SK, Vargas DB, Chandler CS, Katugampola S, Veach DR, McDevitt MR, Seo SH, Vaughn BA, Rinne SS, Punzalan B, Patel M, Xu H, Guo HF, Zanzonico PB, Monette S, Yang G, Ouerfelli O, Nash GM, Cercek A, Fung EK, Howell RW, Larson SM, Cheal SM, Cheung NK. Efficacy of HER2-Targeted Intraperitoneal 225Ac α-Pretargeted Radioimmunotherapy for Small-Volume Ovarian Peritoneal Carcinomatosis. J Nucl Med. 2023 Sep; 64(9):1439-1445. doi: 10.2967/jnumed.122.265095.
Cheung IY, Mauguen A, Modak S, Ragupathi G, Basu EM, Roberts SS, Kushner BH, Cheung NK. Effect of Oral β-Glucan on Antibody Response to Ganglioside Vaccine in Patients With High-Risk Neuroblastoma: A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2023 Feb;9(2):242-250, doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.5999
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Cheung’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.
Nai-Kong V. Cheung discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
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Abpro Inc
Equity; Intellectual Property Rights -
Biotec Pharmacon
Intellectual Property Rights
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Eureka Therapeutics Inc
Equity; Professional Services and Activities -
Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc.
Equity; Intellectual Property Rights
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].
