Alexander Chehrazi-Raffle, M.D.

Medical oncologist Alexander Chehrazi-Raffle, M.D., has always had an interest in medicine. As a highschooler he was inspired to become a physician when he shadowed doctors and saw firsthand the tremendous impact that physicians have on people’s lives. Dr. Chehrazi-Raffle specializes in caring for patients with genitourinary cancers and aims to provide a patient-centered experience where people play an active role in developing a treatment plan uniquely tailored to their needs. His goal in providing care is to educate, counsel and advocate for patients with the hope of improving patient outcomes and establishing a trusted bond that will endure for years to come. 

Dr. Chehrazi-Raffle has published more than a dozen peer-reviewed case studies and research papers. As a City of Hope fellow, he became co-investigator on four ongoing clinical trials when he joined the faculty. His work on a precision medicine study to help predict treatment success in patients with advanced kidney cancer was published in the Journal of Immunotherapy of Cancer and garnered a merit award at the International Kidney Cancer Symposium.

Awards

• 2021, Conquer Cancer Merit Award, American Society of Clinical Oncology
• 2020, Merit Award for Oral Presentation, International Kidney Cancer Symposium
• 2014, MD with Distinction in Research Award, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
• 2013, Global Health Project Scholarship, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

Memberships

• 2020-present, Harbor-UCLA Hematology/Oncology Interest Group, Founding Member
• 2020-present, Kidney Cancer Association
• 2019-present, American Society of Hematology
• 2019-present, American Society of Clinical Oncology
• 2019-present, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
• 2017-present,  American College of Physicians
• 2017-2019, Graduation Medical Education Committee, Resident Representative

• Gong J, Chehrazi-Raffle A, Reddi S, Salgia R. “Development of PD-1 and PD-L1 Inhibitors as a Form of Cancer Immunotherapy: A Comprehensive Review of Registration Trials and Future Considerations.” Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer 6, no. 1 (23 2018).
• Gong J, Chehrazi-Raffle A, Placencio-Hickok V, Guan M, Hendifar A, Salgia R. “The Gut Microbiome and Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Preclinical and Clinical Strategies.” Clinical and Translational Medicine 8, no. 1 (March 18, 2019).
• Chehrazi-Raffle A, Pal SK. “Vorolanib and Everolimus: Lenvatinib and Everolimus Part Deux, or Something New?” EBioMedicine 56 (June 5, 2020).
• Meza L, Chehrazi-Raffle A, Sumanta Pal SK. “Cytoreductive Nephrectomy for Favorable Risk Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma? Yes, Cytoreductive Nephrectomy Should Still Be Considered.” Current Opinion in Urology 30, no. 5 (2020): 740–42.
• Zengin ZB, Salgia NJ,  Chehrazi-Raffle A, Meza L, Malhotra J, Pal SK. “Immune Related Adverse Events: Classification and Management Approaches in Advanced Kidney Cancer.” Cancer Journal (Sudbury, Mass.) 26, no. 5 (October 2020): 432–40.
• Chehrazi-Raffle A, Dorff TB, Pal SK, Lyou Y. “Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and Immunotherapy Resistance: Lessons for the Treatment of Urothelial Carcinoma.” Cancers 13, no. 4 (February 20, 2021).
• Chehrazi-Raffle A*, Meza L*, Alcantara M*, Dizman N, Bergerot PG, Salgia N, Hsu J, Ruel N, Karczewska E, Kortylewski M, Pal SK. (2020). “Circulating cytokines associated with clinical response to systemic therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.” Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 9, no. 3 (March 10, 2021): e002009.
• Chehrazi-Raffle A, Malhotra J, Salgia S, Favorito C, Hsu J, Wu H, Pal SK. “Renal Cell Carcinoma With Urinary Bladder Metastasis: A Case Report With Metachronous Genomic Analyses.” JCO Precision Oncology, no. 5 (March 26, 2021): 557–60.
• Zengin ZB, Weipert C, Salgia NJ, Dizman N, Hsu J, Meza L, Chehrazi-Raffle A, et al. “Complementary Role of Circulating Tumor DNA Assessment and Tissue Genomic Profiling in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.” Clinical Cancer Research, January 1, 2021, clincanres.0572.2021.
• Salgia NJ, Chehrazi-Raffle A, Hsu J, Zengin Z, Salgia S, Chawla NS, Meza L, et al. “Characterizing the Relationships between Tertiary and Community Cancer Providers: Results from a Survey of Medical Oncologists in Southern California.” Cancer Medicine 10, no. 16 (2021): 5671–80.
• Zengin ZB, Chehrazi-Raffle A, Salgia NJ, Muddasani R, Ali S, Meza L, Pal SK. “Targeted Therapies: Expanding the Role of FGFR3 Inhibition in Urothelial Carcinoma.” Urologic Oncology, November 25, 2021, S1078-1439(21)00470-1. 
• Chehrazi-Raffle A, Dorff TB. “Characterizing Out-of-Pocket Payments and Financial Assistance for Patients Prescribed Abiraterone and Enzalutamide at an Academic Cancer Center Specialty Pharmacy.” JCO Oncology Practice, September 24, 2021, OP2100574.

Ongoing Research

COH IRB #21070 - Pal (PI) - February 2021 to present
Individualized circulating tumor DNA analysis in detection of minimal residual disease in patients with solid tumors receiving immunotherapy
Project goal: to determine if changes in circulating tumor DNA levels are predictive of overall response to immunotherapy.
Role: Co-investigator

COH IRB #21136 - Dorff (PI) - March 2021 to present
A prospective study to characterize clinical utility of circulating tumor DNA in patients with germ cell tumors receiving adjuvant chemotherapy
Project goal: to measure circulating tumor DNA of patients with germ cell tumors receiving adjuvant chemotherapy at prespecified time points to better understand the clinical utility of this technology while patients receive standard of care treatment.
Role: Co-Investigator