Martha A. Zeiger, M.D.
Director

Center for Cancer Research
National Cancer Institute

Building 10-CRC, Room 4-5740
Bethesda, MD 20892-1201

About Our Program

The Surgical Oncology Program conducts laboratory and clinical studies to better understand the etiology and clinical course of cancer, develop new techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and establish new therapies for patients. The program provides surgical care for NIH Clinical Center patients with surgical disorders and trains surgery residents in surgical oncology research and cancer immunotherapy with a combined laboratory, patient care and clinical trials experience.

Patient Services

Dr. Jeremy Davis and a group of women surgeonsAs part of our multidisciplinary approach to patient care, we provide a number of natural history and treatment protocols for cancers.  For instance, we offer innovative surgical procedures, molecular analysis of tumors, and targeted drug therapies.  Patients are provided guidance and assistance with appointments, travel, counseling and social support. We believe it is important to collaborate with our patients' primary care physicians in order to provide expert continuity of care. Before visiting, patients may be asked to provide medical records, disks with scans or x-ray studies and a list of medications.  Important facts for our patients:

  • Consultations are provided at no cost to the patient
  • After a patient is accepted onto a study, treatments and tests performed at NIH are also no cost to the patient
  • NIH does not cover the cost of medical services provided at other facilities
  • We are located in Bethesda, Maryland, approximately 8 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
  • Our clinics are located in the NIH Clinical Center (Building 10)
  • Visitor information is available at NIH Clinical Center 

Questions?  Visit NIH Clinical Research Trials and You.

Make an Appointment

Surgical Oncology
Ph: 240.858.3610
foregut@mail.nih.gov

Endocrine Onocology
Ph: 240.858.3020

Our oncology nurses, nurse practitioners and patient care coordinators can help you understand the rationale behind our clinical trials. Their knowledge and expertise helps guide patients and their families through our clinical protocols and provides reassurance by carefully explaining treatment plans. When surgery is indicated, state-of-the-art procedures are explained by surgeons with expertise in the field of oncology. Skilled physicians and allied professionals in genetics, nutrition, pharmacology, nuclear imaging, interventional radiology and gastroenterology are all part of the multi-disciplinary management of our patients.

Doctors looking at a patient's scans

Our Teams

Our Research Interests

  • Dr. Martha Zeiger is an internationally renowned endocrine surgeon and scientist who has been a leader in developing molecular diagnostics for thyroid cancer. Her research focuses on TERT gene expression regulation, molecular marker diagnostic panel development and molecular biological aspects of thyroid cancer development. She also leads a team studying and designing future pathways for the professional development of surgeon-scientists.
  • Dr. Jonathan Hernandez is a surgical oncologist and hepatopancreatobiliary surgeon whose research efforts focus on elucidating the mechanisms through which tumor cells coopt the microenvironment of distant organs to form life-threatening metastases in order to interrupt this process prior to its completion. 
  • Dr. Jeremy Davis is a surgical oncologist with clinical research interest in tumors of the stomach, pancreas, liver and bile ducts. His research efforts currently are aimed at understanding drivers of metastasis in stomach cancers by examining alteration in cell signaling.
  • Dr. Naris Nilubol has expertise in both endocrine oncology surgery and general surgery.
  • Dr. Samira Sadowski specializes in endocrine surgery and her research focuses on the identification of diagnostic and prognostic markers for endocrine tumors and developing new therapies for such tumors.

About

About Our Program

The Surgical Oncology Program conducts laboratory and clinical studies to better understand the etiology and clinical course of cancer, develop new techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and establish new therapies for patients. The program provides surgical care for NIH Clinical Center patients with surgical disorders and trains surgery residents in surgical oncology research and cancer immunotherapy with a combined laboratory, patient care and clinical trials experience.

For Patients

Patient Services

Dr. Jeremy Davis and a group of women surgeonsAs part of our multidisciplinary approach to patient care, we provide a number of natural history and treatment protocols for cancers.  For instance, we offer innovative surgical procedures, molecular analysis of tumors, and targeted drug therapies.  Patients are provided guidance and assistance with appointments, travel, counseling and social support. We believe it is important to collaborate with our patients' primary care physicians in order to provide expert continuity of care. Before visiting, patients may be asked to provide medical records, disks with scans or x-ray studies and a list of medications.  Important facts for our patients:

  • Consultations are provided at no cost to the patient
  • After a patient is accepted onto a study, treatments and tests performed at NIH are also no cost to the patient
  • NIH does not cover the cost of medical services provided at other facilities
  • We are located in Bethesda, Maryland, approximately 8 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.
  • Our clinics are located in the NIH Clinical Center (Building 10)
  • Visitor information is available at NIH Clinical Center 

Questions?  Visit NIH Clinical Research Trials and You.

Make an Appointment

Surgical Oncology
Ph: 240.858.3610
foregut@mail.nih.gov

Endocrine Onocology
Ph: 240.858.3020

Our oncology nurses, nurse practitioners and patient care coordinators can help you understand the rationale behind our clinical trials. Their knowledge and expertise helps guide patients and their families through our clinical protocols and provides reassurance by carefully explaining treatment plans. When surgery is indicated, state-of-the-art procedures are explained by surgeons with expertise in the field of oncology. Skilled physicians and allied professionals in genetics, nutrition, pharmacology, nuclear imaging, interventional radiology and gastroenterology are all part of the multi-disciplinary management of our patients.

Doctors looking at a patient's scans

Teams

Our Teams

For Trainees

Our Science

Our Research Interests

  • Dr. Martha Zeiger is an internationally renowned endocrine surgeon and scientist who has been a leader in developing molecular diagnostics for thyroid cancer. Her research focuses on TERT gene expression regulation, molecular marker diagnostic panel development and molecular biological aspects of thyroid cancer development. She also leads a team studying and designing future pathways for the professional development of surgeon-scientists.
  • Dr. Jonathan Hernandez is a surgical oncologist and hepatopancreatobiliary surgeon whose research efforts focus on elucidating the mechanisms through which tumor cells coopt the microenvironment of distant organs to form life-threatening metastases in order to interrupt this process prior to its completion. 
  • Dr. Jeremy Davis is a surgical oncologist with clinical research interest in tumors of the stomach, pancreas, liver and bile ducts. His research efforts currently are aimed at understanding drivers of metastasis in stomach cancers by examining alteration in cell signaling.
  • Dr. Naris Nilubol has expertise in both endocrine oncology surgery and general surgery.
  • Dr. Samira Sadowski specializes in endocrine surgery and her research focuses on the identification of diagnostic and prognostic markers for endocrine tumors and developing new therapies for such tumors.