Basic and Translational Research

Surgical oncology faculty members are involved in significant basic science and translational laboratory research programs, supported by the National Institutes of Health and a variety of other funding agencies.

The types of cancer research conducted here include:

Study the role of irreversible electroporation in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Study the role of naturally occurring chemopreventive agents in gastroesophageal cancer

Study the role of alcohol-mediated hepatocellular cancer

Development of a large prospective hepatico-pancreatico-biliary, gastric and esophageal, sarcoma, breast, endocrine (parathyroid, thyroid, adrenal), hepatic arterial, soft tissue ablation, and melanoma database

Adenovirus-mediated oncolytic therapy

Novel agents for sentinel lymph node biopsy

Development of novel adenoviral vector gene therapy treatments for cancer

Genetic studies of melanoma, breast, thyroid, GI, and lung cancers

Innovative studies to explore how nipple aspirate fluid might hold the key to early breast cancer detection and to determine molecular markers of the best response to chemotherapy

Studies of lymphangiogenesis in melanoma

Studies to evaluate patient decision-making in breast, lung, and colorectal cancer

Molecular staging of melanoma

Investigation of oxidative stress in the progression of Barrett's esophagus to adenocarcinoma

Nanoparticles and thyroid cancer

The role of estrogen in thyroid cell proliferation

The role of ethnic background in thyroid cancer

Studies evaluating the impact of psychological and physiological stress on breast cancer

Laboratory-based studies evaluating the impact of smoking on breast cancer development

Collaborative work evaluating the impact of diet on estrogen metabolism in breast cancer

Studies evaluating methods of tailoring therapy for breast cancer patients

Studies evaluating accelerated partial breast radiation in breast cancer

Optimization of digestive enzyme mixtures to achieve maximum recovery of islet cells during isolation from pancreases

Clinical Trials

The Division of Surgical Oncology has directed more than 75 clinical studies, involving more than 14,000 patients, including national multicenter cancer studies directed by members of the Division.