Robert Maki, MD, PhD
Sarcoma Oncologist & Early Drug Development Specialist
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Areas of Expertise
My Specialties
- Systemic Therapy for Tumors of Soft Tissue and Bone
- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST)
- Clinical Trial Design and Implementation
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About Me
- Attending Physician
I have dedicated my career to the treatment of connective tissue tumors. These tumors include cancerous sarcomas and benign (non-cancerous) diseases, such as desmoid tumors.
Sarcomas are both rare and diverse. They make up less 1% of all cancers, and there are more than 80 different types of sarcoma. Sarcomas can occur in anyone from birth throughout their life.
When patients with sarcoma come to see me, they are often worried about what it means to have a rare cancer. Being told that you have cancer is already stressful. Being told that you have a rare type of cancer, however, can increase feelings of fear and anxiety.
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I listen to my patients’ concerns and assure them that they have come to the right place for their sarcoma care. At MSK, the rare is the familiar. Our expert team of surgeons, pathologists, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists like me all specialize in sarcoma treatment. We understand that each patient’s sarcoma is unique and requires a personalized approach. Together, we create care plans that are based on the latest advances in sarcoma research.
For over 25 years, I have had many experiences in the field of cancer care. I helped develop the Sarcoma Medical Oncology Service at MSK. Most recently, I led the Sarcoma Medical Oncology program and Experimental Therapeutics team at the University of Pennsylvania before rejoining MSK in 2023. Along the way, I directed a pediatric hematology-oncology service, headed a group at the American Board of Internal Medicine to make sure oncologists remain up to date, and led and helped run many clinical trials.
I am interested in guiding the identification of new treatments for the many forms of sarcoma. These new treatments also provide new options for people with other types of cancer. I conduct clinical trials, as well as sarcoma translational research. This is a type of research that uses what we learn from the lab to find new ways to diagnose and treat cancer. I am also interested in finding new methods to test new drugs. We want to rapidly and effectively separate treatments that work well from those that do not.
To date, I have published extensively on new cancer medications. I have also written on Ewing sarcoma and similar cancers, angiosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, desmoid tumors, and many others. Publishing our research helps us share what we have learned with other people.
I am excited to take part in one of the most accomplished groups in sarcoma care and research in the world. I take great satisfaction in working with patients and colleagues both at MSK and from all over the world. Despite the rarity of these cancers, we can and will find even better ways to treat these diseases.
A sarcoma oncologist is a cancer doctor with special training in sarcoma. This includes soft tissue sarcomas (such as Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma) and benign (not cancer) growths that are like sarcoma.
An early drug development specialist tests new drugs to treat cancer. They have special training in research studies, known as clinical trials.
My Specialties
- Systemic Therapy for Tumors of Soft Tissue and Bone
- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST)
- Clinical Trial Design and Implementation
- Translational Research
Education
- MD, Cornell University Medical College
- PhD, Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences
Residencies
- Internal Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital
Awards and Honors
- Fellow, American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO, 2019)
- José Buesa Award for contributions to sarcoma research, Spanish Sarcoma Group (2016)
- Clinician of the Year, Liferaft Group (2013)
- Nobility in Science Award, Sarcoma Foundation of America (2013)
- Steven Ravitch Chair in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Mt. Sinai Medical Center (2011)
- Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award, National Cancer Institute (2009)
- Byrne Fund Award, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2007)
- Research Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (1997)
- Dean’s Research Prize, Cornell University Medical College (1989, 1992)
- Phi Beta Kappa, Northwestern University (1984)
Fellowships
- Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Board Certifications
- Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology
Insurance Information
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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. Maki sees patients at two 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
Antonescu CR, Yoshida A, Guo T, Chang NE, Zhang L, Agaram NP, Qin LX, Brennan MF, Singer S, Maki RG. KDR activating mutations in human angiosarcomas are sensitive to specific kinase inhibitors. Cancer Res. 2009 Sep 15;69(18):7175-9. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-2068. Epub 2009 Sep 1. PMID: 19723655; PMCID: PMC2763376.
Maki RG, Wathen JK, Patel SR, Priebat DA, Okuno SH, Samuels B, Fanucchi M, Harmon DC, Schuetze SM, Reinke D, Thall PF, Benjamin RS, Baker LH, Hensley ML. Randomized phase II study of gemcitabine and docetaxel compared with gemcitabine alone in patients with metastatic soft tissue sarcomas: results of sarcoma alliance for research through collaboration study 002 [corrected]. J Clin Oncol. 2007 Jul 1;25(19):2755-63. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2006.10.4117. Erratum in: J Clin Oncol. 2007 Aug 20;25(24):3790. PMID: 17602081.
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Carbini M, Suárez-Fariñas M, Maki RG. A Method to Summarize Toxicity in Cancer Randomized Clinical Trials. Clin Cancer Res. 2018 Oct 15;24(20):4968-4975. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-17-3314. Epub 2018 May 8. PMID: 29739789.
Maki RG, Jungbluth AA, Gnjatic S, Schwartz GK, D’Adamo DR, Keohan ML, Wagner MJ, Scheu K, Chiu R, Ritter E, Kachel J, Lowy I, Old LJ, Ritter G. A Pilot Study of Anti-CTLA4 Antibody Ipilimumab in Patients with Synovial Sarcoma. Sarcoma. 2013;2013:168145. doi: 10.1155/2013/168145. Epub 2013 Feb 27. PMID: 23554566; PMCID: PMC3608267.
Matushansky I, Hernando E, Socci ND, Matos T, Mills J, Edgar MA, Schwartz GK, Singer S, Cordon-Cardo C, Maki RG. A developmental model of sarcomagenesis defines a differentiation-based classification for liposarcomas. Am J Pathol. 2008 Apr;172(4):1069-80. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2008.070284. Epub 2008 Feb 29. PMID: 18310505; PMCID: PMC2276417.
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Maki’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.
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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.
Robert Maki discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
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American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Professional Services and Activities -
Bayer
Professional Services and Activities -
Deciphera
Professional Services and Activities
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Peel Therapeutics
Equity; Fiduciary Role / Position -
PharmaMar
Professional Services and Activities -
UptoDate
Professional Services and Activities
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 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, 2022 through disclosure submission in spring 2023). 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].