The Roger Williams Cancer Center offers complete
and comprehensive care for all of Rhode Island. Your team of cancer specialists will design a personalized treatment plan that meets your specific needs. Surgical, medical, and radiation oncology expertise are provided under one roof, eliminating unnecessary time and expenses. We work hard to help you take control.
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Research

Research is a substantial part of what we do at the Roger Williams Cancer Center. See below for our current research projects and clinical trials.

Research Mission - To develop novel immunotherapies for metastatic liver cancer and sarcoma.

SURGICAL ONCOLOGY LABORATORY Research staff
Team members (clockwise from top center): Steven C. Katz, MD, FACS (PI); Peter Kurniali, MD; Cang Nguyen, BS; Seema Naheed, MD; Lauren Licata, MD; Rachel Burga, BS; Kim Prytula, BS (Education and Training Coordinator); Patrycja Dubielecka-Szczerba, PhD (collaborator, Director of Signal Transduction Lab).


PROJECTS
IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR COLORECTAL CANCER LIVER METASTASES - The majority of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) die of their disease. The liver is the most common site of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases and conventional treatments fail to cure over 80% of patients. Work we have recently published demonstrates that an immune response to metastatic CRC has been associated with long-term survival. Therefore, generating immunity against CRCLM is conceptually appealing. Thus far, immunotherapy for CRCLM has not been successful. Novel, innovative approaches for the treatment of CRCLM are needed. We are studying the reasons why most patients fail to generate an effective immune response to CRCLM. Presently, we are testing novel strategies for providing effective immunity against liver metastases.

IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR SARCOMA – Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare tumors that develop from muscle, fat, or nerve cells. While surgery can cure patients whose tumors are detected at an early stage, other treatments are needed in many cases. Conventional treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, have limited efficacy for STS. Work in our laboratory is focused on redirecting patient immune cells to attack the sarcoma while sparing normal tissue.