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Memorial Sloan Kettering Medical Oncologist Viswatej Avutu

Viswatej (Vishu) Avutu, MD

Sarcoma Medical Oncologist

My Role at MSK

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Bone and soft tissue sarcomas
  • adolescent and young adult oncology
  • early-phase clinical trials
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Dr. Avutu's Office Information
Languages: English
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About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Assistant Attending Physician
Get To Know Me

I am a medical oncologist dedicated to the care of adolescents, young adults, and older adults with soft tissue sarcomas and bone tumors. This interest began as a medical student when I worked with sarcoma survivors and experienced their inner strength, compassion, generosity, and love for life, launching a journey that has led me here.

In collaboration with an outstanding team of colleagues that spans the disciplines involved in the care of patients with sarcoma, I strive to provide a comprehensive cancer care plan tailored to each of my patients. My goal is to guide my patients and their loved ones through these challenges with compassion and empathy, drawing upon the most cutting-edge research to offer treatment plans that are both safe and maximally effective.  

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My own research focuses on improving the outcomes for adolescents and young adults with sarcomas, who are particularly susceptible to the disruptions that cancer causes in all aspects of life. As someone trained in both internal medicine and pediatrics, I am uniquely positioned to help bridge the care for these individuals. To do this, I liaise with medical and pediatric oncology and the biopsychosocial services through the Adolescent and Young Adult Program to deliver the highest level of personalized care to this vulnerable group. Active in national cooperative groups that bridge the various oncology disciplines, I am involved in crafting guidelines and policy to elevate and standardize adolescent and young adult cancer care. Lastly, I partner with researchers to help translate novel therapeutics from the lab to the clinic and design clinical trials to investigate and identify which patients may benefit most from such innovative treatments.

Sarcomas are rare cancers and their treatment can be complicated and overwhelming. I aim to meet each of my patients and their support systems where they are, providing recommendations that consider everyone’s goals and hopes. My practice is built on honest communication and mutual respect. I cherish the fact that my patients bring a variety of backgrounds and perspectives to the clinic, and I never forget that each and every individual has their own story — their own particular set of circumstances, values and preferences that intersect with their cancer care. To help my patients through their cancer journey is an immense privilege, and I feel deeply humbled and grateful to play an active role in the battle against cancer. And to level the playing field, I love to talk with my patients about travel and exploring new cultures, discovering new foods and cuisines and lamenting about my lack of talent in music and soccer, my dream jobs in another life.

My Role at MSK

A sarcoma medical oncologist is a cancer doctor who specializes in sarcoma. This includes soft tissue sarcomas (such as Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma) and benign (not cancer) growths that are like sarcoma.

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Bone and soft tissue sarcomas
  • adolescent and young adult oncology
  • early-phase clinical trials
Education & Honors

Education

  • BS, biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin
  • MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

Residencies

  • Internal Medicine – Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Pediatrics – Boston Children’s Residency Program

Awards and Honors

  • Patient and Family Centered Care Grant Initiative (MSKCC)
  • Young Investigator Award (Conquer Cancer/American Society of Clinical Oncology Foundation)

Fellowships

  • Medical Oncology - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Internal Medicine
  • Pediatrics
  • Medical 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.

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

Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN

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

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

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

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

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

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.

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Current Patients
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Contact and Location

Dr. Avutu sees patients at one location.

Location
New York, NY
Rockefeller Outpatient Pavilion
160 East 53rd Street New York NY 10022
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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 Sarcoma Medical 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

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.

Viswatej (Vishu) Avutu 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].


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