Roman Groisberg

I am excited to join Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey following an internal medicine residency at Yale-New Haven hospital and a hematology/oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I see patients as part of the Melanoma and Sarcoma Program and the Phase I/Investigational Therapeutics Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute.

I have always believed that life is about human connections - reaching out to another person for advice, reassurance, a hug, or a conversation. It is such moments that have guided and defined my life through a series of mentors, each impressing upon me important values and life lessons. Mentors steered me toward research in biology, medical school, oncology, and clinical trials. Finally synthesizing my molecular biology background with my interest in early phase clinical trials into a career developing targeted cancer therapies.

Every cancer and every patient is unique and there is no “usual” treatment. Treatment decisions are made using the latest in diagnostic techniques such as next-generation DNA sequencing which gives the particular genomic profile of a tumor. I use this data in my practice to design an individualized treatment plan for each of my patients implementing a variety of tools at my disposal including targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy to achieve the best possible results. I also ensure that the treatment plan fits with the patient’s lifestyle.

It is my goal to provide the latest and most advanced therapies for my patients, making sure that novel drugs are available as part of a clinical trial. I educate my patients on the importance of clinical trials and encourage them to participate not only for themselves, but for cancer patients worldwide – today and in the future. My particular interest is in drugs that target specific drivers of a tumor.

I am the author or co-author of numerous publications, reviews, book chapters, abstracts, and presentations related to targeted therapy in cancer, especially related to sarcomas. I have received the prestigious Connie and Jim Walter endowed fellowship for sarcoma research as well as the Daniel Benedict Gazan endowed sarcoma fellowship. I have also received the American Society of Clinical Oncology merit award for outstanding research in targeted sarcoma therapy as well as a top prize by the Texas state oncology society research competition. I am a member of several national and international cancer societies including ASCO, EACR, AACR, and CTOS, where I present my research.