Department of Medical Oncology

The Department of Medical Oncology consists of 18 university salaried and 10 volunteer faculty members in two private practice groups. At the present time, the university faculty members are organized in three groups based on predominant disease interests. The largest of the three clinical groups is Hematologic Malignancies & Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation with 8 members responsible for two inpatient services and a coordinated group practice. The Melanoma & Immunotherapeutics program consists of 5 faculty members, one of whom serves as the CMO of a biotechnology company focused on cancer vaccine development. Members of this program are also involved in the treatment of other malignancies such as pancreas and liver cancer and are also working to develop immunotherapeutic strategies for other malignancies. The Solid Tumor Program includes 5 members with focus on GI, Head & Neck/Lung, GU, Gyn/Neurooncology, and Breast Cancer. The volunteer faculty have diverse interests and currently care for the majority of breast cancer patients seen at the institution. Three departmental faculty currently have major leadership responsibilities in the cancer center including the areas of minority affairs and clinical investigation.

Out patient care is provided in a facility consisting of approximately 7,500 square feet. Plans are underway for relocation of medical oncology outpatient activities to approximately 14,000 square feet of newly renovated space at 925 Chestnut across the street from the main hospital complex. Approximately 10,702 outpatient visits occurred in fiscal year 2006. Faculty members also participate in the multidisciplinary breast, GU, and lung clinics. Inpatient care is provided on a 12 bed transplant unit and a 25 bed oncology unit.

Basic research activities in the department are found primarily in the Hematologic Malignancies and Melanoma programs.

Department members currently supervise approximately 98 clinical trials. Approximately 254 patients are enrolled on trials per year throughout the cancer center. Activity in the Hematologic Malignancies and Melanoma programs is focused heavily on investigator-initiated trials. Solid tumor faculty members accrue more patients to investigator initiated and, to a lesser extent, cooperative group trials. GI oncology has traditionally led the department and the cancer center in patient accrual.

A joint fellowship is co-administered together with the Division of Hematology in the Department of Medicine. Each fellowship class has four fellows for a total of 12 in the program. Additional faculty members are actively being recruited particularly in the area of solid tumor oncology. It is envisioned that divisions of Breast/GYN, GI, GU, Lung/Head & Neck, and Experimental Therapeutics will be created from the current solid tumor group as senior leaders and increased faculty depth in these arcas arc added to the department.