Joseph A. Sparano MD, FACP

Dr. Joseph A. Sparano, MD, FACP, is the Ezra M. Greenspan, M.D. Professor in Clinical Cancer Therapeutics and Chief of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also Associate Director of Clinical Research Operations at the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center, a NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Sparano has led several major NCI-funded trials that have shaped the landscape of breast cancer therapy and clinical practice guidelines, including the TAILORx trial, which demonstrated the clinical utility of using the 21-gene Oncotype DX Recurrence Score to guide adjuvant chemotherapy use, and the ECOG E1199 trial, which demonstrated that adjuvant weekly paclitaxel improved survival in early breast cancer. He played a leading role in developing the RSClin decision aid that is now widely used in clinical practice. He also reported one of the first studies demonstrating the potential role of liquid biopsies for predicting late breast cancer recurrence years after diagnosis.

Dr. Sparano’s work has been devoted to addressing cancer disparities in vulnerable populations. He has contributed to work showing higher rates of taxane-induced neuropathy in black women and genetic variants associated with this risk, leading to new strategies to reduce the risk of developing this complication. He has also led work that demonstrates racial disparities in outcomes for black women with ER+ breast cancer, and is initiating efforts to address this disparity. He also leads the NCI-funded AIDS Malignancy Consortium that includes 39 sites in the U.S., Africa, and Latin America, which is evaluating novel cancer screening, prevention, and treatment strategies. His prior work contributed to improving treatment outcomes for patients with HIV infection and lymphoma, Kaposi Sarcoma, and anal carcinoma.