Kurt A. Melstrom, M.D.
Described as “warm and approachable,” “down-to-earth” and “awesome” by his patients, Kurt Melstrom, M.D., has received a Patients' Choice Award and a Compassionate Doctor Recognition Award.
Dr. Melstrom joined City of Hope in 2015 after a five-year association with Beth Israel Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He received his medical doctorate from Weill Cornell Medical College and served residencies at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, and New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Currently, Dr. Melstrom is an associate clinical professor in the Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery at City of Hope.
A frequent speaker and author of numerous articles, Dr. Melstrom has also received special training in robotic surgery, laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery, as well as high resolution anoscopy.
General Surgery
Colon and Rectal Surgery
1999-2003, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, M.D.
1995-1999, Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, Ithaca, NY, B.A. Chemistry with Distinction.
2005-2007, Research Fellowship in Trauma and Burn Research, Loyola University Medical Center, Burn Shock Trauma Institute, Maywood, IL
2010-2011, Colon and Rectal Surgery Residency, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
2003-2010, General Surgery Residency, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL
2021-present, Associate Clinical Professor, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
2021-present, Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
2015-2021, Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
2011-2015, Attending Physician, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Mount Sinai (Formerly Beth Israel Medical Center), New York, NY
2006-2008, Contract Physician, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers Grove, IL
2005-2007, Contract Physician, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston, IL
2000, Research Assistant, Mentors, Weill Cornell Medical Center, Department of Surgery, New York, NY
1999-2003, Tissue Procurement Team Leader, New York Firefighters Skin Bank, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
1999-2001, Research Assistant, Strang Cancer Prevention Center, New York, NY
1998-1999, Research Assistant, Cornell University, Department of Textiles and Apparel, Ithaca, NY
1997-1999, Facility Assistant, Cornell University, Department of Chemistry, Ithaca, NY
2010, John Keeley Surgical Fellowship, Osaka, Japan
2009-2010, Administrative Chief Resident, Loyola University Department of Surgery
2009-2010, Loyola Surgery Resident Service Project Award
2008 Chicago Surgical Society Annual Award for Surgical Research, 2nd Prize
2007, American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Resident Paper Competition, Chicago Chapter, 2nd Place
1999, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Golden Key National Honor Society
1999, George Caldwell Prize for Excellence in Chemistry, 1999
1998, Victor Grohman Scholar Athlete Award
1998, All-Ivy Academic Team
1998, COSIDA/GTE Academic All-America Team, District 1
1998, Harold Adlard Lovenberg Prize for Excellence in Chemistry
1997, 1999, 400 Club, Athletes who received 4.9 GPA’s
1996, Daniel M. Bondareff Freshman Scholar Athlete Award
2014-present, Fellow, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
2013-present, Fellow, American College of Surgeons
- Lai L, Blakely A, Invernizzi M, Lin J, Kidambi T, Melstrom K, Yu K, Lu T. Separation of Color Channels from Conventional Colonoscopy Images Improves Deep Neural Network Detection of Polyps. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 2021; 26(1): 015001.
- Melstrom K, Kaiser A. Role of Minimally Invasive Surgery for Rectal Cancer. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2020; 26(30): 4394-4414.
- Konstantinidis I, Lee B, Trisal V, Paz I, Melstrom K, Sentovich S, Lai L, Raoof M. National Postoperative and Oncologic Outcomes after Pelvic Exenteration for T4b Rectal Cancer. Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2020; Epub ahead of print.
- Konstantinidis I, Ituarte P, Woo Y, Warner S, Melstrom K, Kim J, Singh G, Lee B, Fong Y, Melstrom L. Trends and Outcomes of Robotic Surgery for Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers in the USA: Maintaining Perioperative and Oncologic Safety. Surgical Endoscopy, 2020; 34(11): 4932-4942.
- Blakely A, Chanson D, Wong F, Eng O, Sentovich S, Melstrom K, Lai L, Fong Y, Sun V. Health-Related Quality of Life and Oncologic Outcomes After Surgery in Older Adults with Colorectal Cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 2020; 28(6): 2857-2865.
- Li R, Shinde A, Fakih M, Sentovich S, Melstrom K, Nelson R, Glaser S, Chen Y, Goodman K, Amini A. Impact of Surgical Resection on Survival Outcomes After Chemoradiotherapy in Anal Adenocarcinoma. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 2019; 17(10): 1203-1210.
- Limchantra I, Fong Y, Melstrom K. Surgical Smoke Exposure in Operating Room Personnel: A Review. JAMA Surgery, 2019; 154(10): 960-967.
- Raoof M, Zafar S, Ituarte P, Krouse R, Melstrom K. Using a Lymph Node Count Metric to Identify Underperforming Hospitals After Rectal Cancer Surgery. Journal of Surgical Research, 2019; 236: 216-223.
- Stewart C, Ituarte P, Melstrom K, Warner S, Melstrom L, Lai L, Fong Y, Woo Y. Robotic Surgery Trends in General Surgical Oncology From the National Inpatient Sample. Surgical Endoscopy. 2018; 33: 2591-2601.
- Sun V, Crane T, Slack S, Yung A, Wright S, Sentovich S, Melstrom K, Fakih M, Krouse R, Thomson C. Rationale, Development, and Design of the Altering Intake, Managing Symptoms (AIMS) Dietary Intervention for Bowel Dysfunction in Rectal Cancer Survivors. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 2018; 68: 61-66.
- Cho M, Gong J, Frankel P, Synold T, Lim D, Chung V, Chao J, Li D, Chen Y, Sentovich S, Melstrom K, Singh G, Luevanos E, Fakih M. A Phase I Clinical Trial of Binimetinib in Combination with FOLFOX in Patients with Advanced Metastatic Colorectal Cancer who Failed Prior Standard Therapy. Oncotarget, 2017; 8(45): 79750-79760.
- Sun V, Dumitra S, Ruel N, Lee B, Melstrom L, Melstrom K, Woo Y, Sentovich S, Singh G, Fong Y. Wireless Monitoring Program of Patient-Centered Outcomes and Recovery Before and After Major Abdominal Cancer Surgery. JAMA Surgery, 2017; 152(9): 852- 859.
- Cho M, Akiba C, Lau C, Smith D, Telatar M, Afkhami M, Sentovich S, Melstrom K, Fakih M. Impact of RAS and BRAF Mutations on Carcinoembryonic Antigen Production and Pattern of Colorectal Metastases. World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology, 2016; 8(1): 128-135.
- Melstrom K. Robotic Rectal Cancer Surgery. Cancer Treatment and Research, 2016; 168: 295-308.
- Melstrom LG, Melstrom KA, Pilewskie M, Wang EC, Winchester DJ. DCIS Size and Resection Volume Predict Margin Status. 2010; 33(5): 438-442.
- Muthu K, Le HK, Melstrom KA, Szilagyi A, Gamelli RL, Shankar R. Perturbed Bone Marrow Monocyte Development Following Burn Injury and Sepsis Promote Hyporesponsive Monocytes. 2008; 29(1): 12-21.
- Melstrom LG, Melstrom KA, Ding XZ, Adrian TE. Mechanisms of Skeletal Muscle Degradation and its Therapy in Cancer Cachexia. 2007; 22(7): 805-814.
- Melstrom KA, Kozlowski R, Hassett DJ, Suzuki H, Bates DM, Gamelli RL, Shankar R. Cytotoxicity of Pseudomonas Secreted Exotoxins Requires OxyR Expression.2007; 143(1): 50-57.
- Shankar R, Melstrom KA, Gamelli RL. Inflammation and Sepsis: Past, Present and the Future. 2007; 28(4): 566-571.
- Melstrom KA, Smith JW, Gamelli RL, Shankar R. New Perspectives For a New Century: Implications of Pathogen Responses For the Future of Antimicrobial Therapy. 2006; 27(3): 251-264.
- Carothers AM, Melstrom KA, Mueller JD, Weyant MJ, Bertagnolli MM. Progressive Changes in Adherens Junction Structure During Intestinal Adenoma Formation in Mutant Mice. 2001; 276(42): 39094-39102.
Book Chapters
- Melstrom K. The SAGES Atlas of Robotic Surgery. Chapter 22: Colectomy. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland, 2018.
- Melstrom K, Martz J. Current Therapy in Colon and Rectal Surgery, 3rd Edition. Chapter 14: Anal Melanoma and Basal Cell Cancer of the Perianal Region. Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA, 2017.
- Melstrom K, Sentovich S. Surgical Emergencies in the Cancer Patient. Chapter 11: Colon and Rectal Surgical Emergencies. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland, 2017.