Many of our patients are teens and young adults. They are transitioning from childhood dependence on their parents to independent living. We help them maintain their independence in every way during their cancer care while still ensuring that they have the emotional and practical support of their family.
Many of the types of cancer in young adults are quite rare. Very few oncologists have experience treating them. Some young adults have a form of cancer that is seen much more commonly in children and teens. These patients need a team of specialists from multiple medical fields. They can find that level of expertise in the multidisciplinary teams at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Our specialists combine their skills and experience to come up with the most effective therapy for each individual.
I also direct clinical research to develop and assess new therapies for sarcomas. For five years I served as head of the bone sarcoma strategy group for the Children’s Cancer Group. In that role, I directed national clinical trials for osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. I also conducted clinical trials for people with newly diagnosed and recurrent osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma, and other unusual tumors that occur in children and young adults. I have much more experience treating these challenging cancers than most doctors.
In addition to caring for patients and doing research, I enjoy teaching. Memorial Sloan Kettering offers one of the most comprehensive training programs in pediatric hematology/oncology in the country. We care for a very large number of patients, and our faculty has many decades of experience. Our trainees see an unparalleled variety of clinical challenges. Fellows also have the benefit of working with faculty at nearby institutions, such as Weill Cornell Medicine and The Rockefeller University.
I have authored or co-authored more than 135 publications about sarcomas. In recognition of my work, I received the Willet E. Whitmore Award for Clinical Excellence from Memorial Sloan Kettering in 1995. I served as president of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society, a leading academic society devoted to the study of sarcomas. I am a member of the National Cancer Institute’s Physician Data Query Pediatric Board.
I am also the founding medical director for Happiness Is Camping, a summer camp for children with cancer. Helping give these kids a respite from the rigors of cancer therapy has been an extraordinary opportunity. To see these children blossom and thrive away from the hospital environment is one of the great joys of my job.
