Why am I at the NIH? To be able to truly focus on specific, rare diseases. I have tailored my practice to focus on two diseases exclusively: gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and peritoneal mesothelioma. Nowhere else can a physician hyper-focus on only two histologies. 

Why is this important? Both GISTs and peritoneal mesothelioma are characterized by profound heterogeneity, even within relatively rare diseases. Both have germline genetic drivers and non-genetically-driven varieties. Surgery is a critical component of multi-modal therapy for both diseases. Much remains to be learned about each, and the NIH is uniquely positioned to be able to do just that.

I perform cytoreductive surgeries for GISTs and peritoneal mesothelioma that are beneficial to the patient. We aim to provide improved control of disease in conjunction with patients' medical oncologists. We balance the potential benefits of aggressive cytoreduction with the perceived benefits of the same in the global context of patients' disease. Every patient should have a second opinion before being deemed unresectable, and we can provide that as well as reinforcing the fact that with continually improving systemic treatment options, resectability is a dynamic assessment that can change over the course of treatment.