David Paul Kelsen MD

David is a board-certified medical oncologist with clinical and research interests in the field of gastrointestinal malignancies. His clinical practice includes care of patients with gastrointestinal cancers, neuroendocrine tumors, and cancers of unknown primary site. He is an attending physician on the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, which he was privileged to lead as Chief from 1991 to 2011. He also serve on Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Research Council, which oversees our clinical research portfolio, among other committees.
His research is focused on upper gastrointestinal cancers, particularly pancreatic and gastroesophageal cancers. Their group’s clinical and translational studies are designed to develop a better understanding of the driving factors in the development of these malignancies, particularly on the genomic level. Their research suggests that gastroesophageal and pancreas cancers are not one disease and that by characterizing the different subtypes, we will be able to develop better prevention, early diagnosis, staging, and treatment strategies.
For example, he lead their registry to study inherited BRCA mutation-related pancreas cancer. Their translational research includes projects aimed at the identification of new biomarkers, based on molecular profiling of the different subtypes, which could help in choosing the specific treatment for individual patients. He have been the Principal Investigator of national phase II and III clinical trials. His research has been supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the Lustgarten Foundation.