Surgical Oncology

The Surgical Oncology Division at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey combines the expertise of fellowship-trained surgeons with advanced technologies to treat benign and malignant tumors with complex surgical procedures. Minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic surgery-techniques performed by our physicians result in improved clinical outcomes and a faster recovery for patients.  Rutgers Cancer Institute  is one of the few centers in the region whose surgeons have vast expertise in managing patients’ disease through the unique treatment option called HIPEC or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy to treat cancers that have spread to the abdominal cavity – a condition known as peritoneal metastases.  Also, as an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, our patients are provided with access to the latest clinical trials including precision medicine and immunotherapies, some not available elsewhere.

Our surgical oncologists have disease specific expertise in routine, rare and complex cancers including: bladder cancer; brain and spine tumors; breast cancer; endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors, gastrointestinal cancers; head and neck cancers; hepatobiliary cancers; gynecologic cancers; kidney cancers; liver and bile duct cancers; melanoma and sarcomas; mesothelioma, pancreatic cancer; prostate cancer; testicular cancer; and thoracic cancers.

Faculty within the Division of Surgical Oncology conduct both clinical research and basic research. Scientists are investigating the efficacy of combination immunotherapies including oncolytic viruses, checkpoint inhibitors, and immune modulators, as well as defining the effects of viral and bacterial infections on anti-cancer immune responses. Clinical research involves the development of clinical trials including some of the pioneer studies in immunotherapy that have led to FDA approved treatments.

Working closely with healthcare team members from throughout Rutgers Cancer Institute and the Department of Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, our faculty members foster innovation in clinical surgical oncology care. Rutgers Cancer Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School offer a two year ACGME accredited Fellowship in Complex General Surgical Oncology for board eligible general surgeons who wish to attain subspecialty certification for the practice of general surgical oncology as well as a Breast Surgery Fellowship.

Surgical Oncology Leadership

H. Richard Alexander, MD, FACS
Chief Surgical Officer and
Chief, Surgical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute, and
Regional Director of Surgery for Monmouth Medical Center, an RWJBH Facility
 

M. Michele Blackwood, MD, FACS
Chief, Section of Breast Surgery

Amanda M. Laird, MD, FACS
Chief, Section of Endocrine Surgery

Adam C. Berger, MD, FACS
Chief, Melanoma and Soft Tissue Surgical Oncology

Daniel L. Feingold, MD, FASCRS, FACS,
Chief, Colorectal Surgery

James K. Aikins Jr., MD, FACOG, FACS
Chief, Gynecologic Oncology

Breast Oncology Surgery

M. Michele Blackwood,
MD, FACS
Cheif, Section of Breast Surgery

Firas Eladoumikdachi,
MD, FACS
Surgical Oncologist

Maria Kowzun, MD
Surgical Oncologist

Shicha Kumar, MD, FACS
Surgical Oncologist

Lindsay Potdevin, MD
Surgical Oncologist

Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumor Surgery

Amanda M. Laird, MD, FACS
Chief, Section of EndocrineSurgery

H. Richard Alexander, MD, FACS
Chief Surgical Officer and Chief, Surgical Oncology

Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS
Director, Rutgers Cancer Institute and Surgical Oncologist

Toni Beninato, MD, MS, FACS
Endocrine Surgeon

Gastrointestinal Oncology Surgery

H. Richard Alexander, MD, FACS
Chief Surgical Officer and Chief, Surgical Oncology

Daniel L. Feingold, MD, FASCRS, FACS,
Chief, Colorectal Surgery

David A. August, MD, FACS
Associate Director for Faculty Affairs and Surgical Oncologist 

Mariam F. Eskander, MD, MPH
Surgical Oncologist
 

Miral Sadaria Grandhi, MD
Surgical Oncologist
 

Haejin In, MD, MPH, MBA
Surgical Oncologist
Associate Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Timothy J. Kennedy,
MD, MBA
Surgical Oncologist

Russell C. Langan, MD
Surgical Oncologist, Chief of Surgical Oncology & Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Saint Barnabas Medical Center

Gynecologic Oncology Surgery

James K. Aikins Jr., MD, FACOG, FACS
Chief, Gynecologic Oncology

Alexandre Buckley de Meritens, MD
Gynecologic Oncologist

Euginia Girda, MD, FACOG
Gynecologic Oncologist

Aliza Leiser, MD
Gynecologic Oncologist

Ruth D. Stephenson, DO, FACOG
Gynecologic Oncologist

Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery

Melanoma and Soft Tissue Oncology Surgery

Adam C. Berger, MD, FACS
Chief, Melanoma and Soft Tissue Surgical Oncology

Bahar Dasgeb, MD
Surgical Oncologist

Vadim Koshenkov, MD
Surgical Oncologist
 

Thoracic Oncology Surgery

John Langenfeld, MD
Co-Director, Thoracic Oncology Program
Thoracic Surgeon

Ioannis Kontopidis, MD
Thoracic Surgeon

Urologic Oncology Surgery

Saum Ghodoussipour, MD, Director of the Bladder and Urothelial Cancer Program

Thomas L. Jang, MD, MPH, FACS Director of the Testicular Cancer Program; Director, Safety and Outcomes for the Division of Urology; Associate Chief of Urologic Oncology

Eric A. Singer, MD, MA Associate Chief of Urology; Director, Kidney Cancer Program

Surgical Oncology Research

Edmund C. Lattime, PhD
Associate Director for Education and Training