Yuman Fong, M.D.

yfong@coh.org
800-826-4673
Yuman Fong
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Surgical Oncologist
4.9 (78 RATINGS)
Clinical Expertise
Metastatic colon or rectal cancer to liver
Pancreatic Cancer
Liver Cancer
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Neuroendocrine tumors
Gallbladder cancer
Bile Duct cancer
Research Area
Gastrointestinal Cancers
Languages
Cantonese
Appointments
Sangiacomo Family Chair in Surgical Oncology
Chair and Professor, Department of Surgery
Director, Center for International Medicine
Director, Center for Surgical Innovation
Clinical Teams
Bile Duct Cancer
Gallbladder Cancer
Liver Cancers and Liver Tumors
Pancreatic Cancer
Surgery
Research Teams
Gene Surgery
Surgery Research
Additional Contacts
Referring Physicians/Colleagues
626-218-0509
"My passion is taking care of patients."
A pioneer both in the operating room and in the laboratory, Yuman Fong, M.D., The Sangiacomo Family Chair in Surgical Oncology and chair of our Department of Surgery is an internationally recognized expert in cancers of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts. He has led the research effort to employ genetically modified viruses to destroy cancer cells.
 
Dr. Fong joined City of Hope in 2014 after more than two decades at the renowned Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
 
Dr. Fong is both author and innovator: He has developed many new surgical techniques and instruments and written and edited hundreds of scholarly articles as well as nearly a dozen textbooks.
 

 

Location
Education & Experience
Degrees

  • 1984, M.D, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY

  • 1981, B.A., Medieval Literature, Brown University, Providence, RI

Fellowship

  • 1991-1993, Surgical Oncology Fellow, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (Mentor: M.F. Brennan)

  • 1992-1993, Chief Administrative Fellow, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

  • 1986-1989, Research Fellow, Department of Surgery, Cornell University Medical College, (Mentor: S.F. Lowry)

  • 1986-1989, Nutrition Support Service, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY

Residency

  • 1990-1991, Chief Residency, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY

  • 1989-1990, General Surgery, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY

  • 1985-1986, General Surgery, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY

Internship

  • 1984-1985, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY

Professional Experience

  • 2016-present, Sangiacomo Family Chair in Surgical Oncology, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

  • 2014-present, Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, CA

  • 2001-2014, Murray F. Brennan Chair in Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

  • 2007-2014, Adjunct Professor of Surgery, Downstate Medical Center, New York, NY

  • 2000-2014, Professor of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College

  • 2000-2014, Tenured Member, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

  • 2006-2012, Vice Chair for Technology Development, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

  • 2004-2008, Chief, Gastric and Mixed Tumor Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

  • 1994-2000, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY

  • 1993-2000, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY

  • 1997-2000, Associate Attending Surgeon, Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, New York, NY

  • 1997-2000, Associate Member, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

  • 1993-1997, Assistant Attending Surgeon, Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, New York, NY

  • 1993-1997, Associate Member, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

Research
Lab Members
Associate Research Scientist
 
Assistant Research Scientist
 
Shyambabu Chaurasiya, Ph.D.
Staff Scientist
Awards & Memberships
Awards

  • 2019, Master Clinician Award, The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract

  • 2018, Inductee into the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering

  • 2018, Honorary Membership, Mexican Association of Digestive Surgery

  • 2015, Honorary Doctorate, King George's School of Medicine

  • 2010, Honorary Membership, Brazilian Society of Surgical Oncology

  • 2006, Honorary Membership, Chinese American Medical Association

  • 2003, Inducted into American Society for Clinical Investigators

  • Layton Rikkers Master Clinician Award, The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract

Memberships

  • American Surgical Association

  • Southern Surgical Association

  • International Surgical Group

  • Society for Clinical Surgery

  • Halsted Society

Publications
  • Winkler CS, Sandhu J, Pettke E, Merchea A, Fong Y, Kumara HMCS, Whelan RL. Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy, a Palliative Treatment Approach for Patients With Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: Description of Method and Systematic Review of Literature. Dis Colon Rectum. 2020 Feb;63(2):242-255. doi: 10.1097/DCR.0000000000001565. PubMed PMID: 31914116.
  • Smith AA, Monlezun DJ, Martinie J, Iannitti D, Konstantinidis I, Darden M, Parker G Fong Y, Buell JF. Bile Leak Reduction with Laparoscopic Versus Open Liver Resection: A Multi-institutional Propensity Score-Adjusted Multivariable Regression Analysis. World J Surg. 2020 Jan 2. doi: 10.1007/s00268-019-05343-x. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31897695.
  • Lafaro KJ, Raz DJ, Kim JY, Hite S, Ruel N, Varatkar G, Erhunmwunsee L, Melstrom L, Lee B, Singh G, Fong Y, Sun V. Pilot study of a telehealth perioperative physical activity intervention for older adults with cancer and their caregivers. Support Care Cancer. 2020 Aug;28(8):3867-3876. doi:10.1007/s00520-019-05230-0. Epub 2019 Dec 16. PMID: 31845007.
  • Konstantinidis IT, Ituarte P, Woo Y, Warner SG, Melstrom K, Kim J, Singh G, Lee B, Fong Y, Melstrom LG. Trends and outcomes of robotic surgery for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers in the USA: maintaining perioperative and oncologic safety. Surg Endosc. 2019 Dec 9. doi: 10.1007/s00464-019-07284-x. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31820161.
  • Beard RE, Khan S, Troisi RI, Montalti R, Vanlander A, Fong Y, Kingham TP, Boerner T, Berber E, Kahramangil B, Buell JF, Martinie JB, Vrochides D, Shen C, Molinari M, Geller DA, Tsung A. Long-Term and Oncologic Outcomes of Robotic Versus Laparoscopic Liver Resection for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Multicenter, Propensity Score Matching Analysis. World J Surg. 2020 Mar;44(3):887-895. doi: 10.1007/s00268-019-05270-x. PMID: 31748885.
  • Blakely AM, Chanson D, Wong FL, Eng OS, Sentovich SM, Melstrom KA, Lai LL, Fong Y, Sun V. Health-related quality of life and oncologic outcomes after surgery in older adults with colorectal cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2020 Jun;28(6):2857-2865. doi: 10.1007/s00520-019-05087-3. Epub 2019 Nov 15. PMID:31729565.
  • Liu R, Wakabayashi G, Palanivelu C, Tsung A, Yang K, Goh BKP, Chong CC, Kang CM, Peng C, Kakiashvili E, Han HS, Kim HJ, He J, Lee JH, Takaori K, Marino MV, Wang SN, Guo T, Hackert T, Huang TS, Anusak Y, Fong Y, Nagakawa Y, Shyr YM, Wu YM, Zhao Y. International consensus statement on robotic pancreatic surgery. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr. 2019 Aug;8(4):345-360. doi: 10.21037/hbsn.2019.07.08. Review. PubMed PMID: 31489304; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6700012.
  • Fong Y, Patti MG. Volume Standards for High-risk Cancer Surgery. JAMA Surg. 2019 Aug 14. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2019.3018. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 31411656. Banapour P, Yuh B, Chenam A, Shen JK, Ruel N, Han ES, Kim JY, Maghami EG, Pigazzi A, Raz DJ, Singh GP, Wakabayashi M, Woo Y, Fong Y, Lau CS. Readmission and complications after robotic surgery: experience of 10,000 operations at a comprehensive cancer center. J Robot Surg. 2020 Apr 10. doi: 10.1007/s11701-020-01077-4. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32277400.
  • Lafaro KJ, Stewart C, Fong A, Fong Y. Robotic Liver Resection. Surg Clin North Am. 2020 Apr;100(2):265-281. doi: 10.1016/j.suc.2019.11.003. Epub 2020 Feb 12. Review. PubMed PMID: 32169180.
  • Chaurasiya S, Yang A, Kang S, Lu J, Kim SI, Park AK, Sivanandam V, Zhang Z, Woo Y, Warner SG, Fong Y. Oncolytic poxvirus CF33-hNIS-ΔF14.5 favorably modulates tumor immune microenvironment and works synergistically with anti-PD-L1 antibody in a triple-negative breast cancer model. Oncoimmunology. 2020 Feb 24;9(1):1729300. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2020.1729300. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 32158622; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7051185.
  • Stewart CL, Wong P, Selby L, Warner SG, Raoof M, Singh G, Fong Y, Melstrom LG. Minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy and the cost of conversion. J Surg Oncol. 2020 Mar;121(4):670-675. doi: 10.1002/jso.25852. Epub 2020 Jan 21. PMID: 31967336.
  • Ho JL, Konda A, Rahman J, Harris E, Korn R, Sabir A, Bawany B, Gulati R, Harris GJ, Boswell WD, Fong Y, Rahmanuddin S. Comparative analysis of three-dimensional volume rendering and maximum intensity projection for preoperative planning in liver cancer. Eur J Radiol Open. 2020 Sep 4;7:100259. doi: 10.1016/j.ejro.2020.100259. PMID: 32944595.
  • Raoof M, Fong Y. Liver resection for colorectal cancer liver metastases: An often-neglected opportunity for cure. J Surg Oncol. 2020 Sep 24. doi: 10.1002/jso.26192. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32974909.
  • Yan Y, Yang A, Lu L, Zhao Z, Li C, Li W, Chao J, Liu T, Fong Y, Fu W, Woo Y. Impact of Neoadjuvant Therapy on Minimally Invasive Surgical Outcomes in Advanced Gastric Cancer: An International Propensity Score-Matched Study. Ann Surg Oncol. 2020 Aug 29. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-09070-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32862371.
  • Smith AA, Monlezun DJ, Martinie J, Iannitti D, Konstantinidis I, Darden M, Parker G, Fong Y, Buell JF. Bile Leak Reduction with Laparoscopic Versus Open Liver Resection: A Multi-institutional Propensity Score-Adjusted Multivariable Regression Analysis. World J Surg. 2020 May;44(5):1578-1585. doi:10.1007/s00268-019-05343-x. PMID: 31897695.
  • Fong AJ, Lafaro K, Ituarte PHG, Fong Y. Association of Living in Urban Food Deserts with Mortality from Breast and Colorectal Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 2020 Aug 25. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-09049-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32844294.
  • Banapour P, Yuh B, Chenam A, Shen JK, Ruel N, Han ES, Kim JY, Maghami EG, Pigazzi A, Raz DJ, Singh GP, Wakabayashi M, Woo Y, Fong Y, Lau CS. Readmission and complications after robotic surgery: experience of 10,000 operations at a comprehensive cancer center. J Robot Surg. 2020 Apr 10. doi: 10.1007/s11701-020-01077-4. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32277400.
  • O'Leary MP, Choong KC, Thornblade LW, Fakih MG, Fong Y, Kaiser AM. Management Considerations for the Surgical Treatment of Colorectal Cancer During the Global Covid-19 Pandemic. Ann Surg. 2020 Aug;272(2):e98-e105. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000004029. PMID: 32675510.
  • Lafaro K, Blakely AM, Melstrom LG, Warner SG, Lee B, Singh G, Fong Y, Raoof M. Prognostic impact of tumor location in resected gallbladder cancer: A national cohort analysis. J Surg Oncol. 2020 Jul 11. doi: 10.1002/jso.26107. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32652555.
  • Le VH, O'Connor VV, Li D, Melstrom LG, Fong Y, DiFronzo AL. Outcomes of neoadjuvant therapy for cholangiocarcinoma: A review of existing evidence assessing treatment response and R0 resection rate. J Surg Oncol. 2020 Sep 24. doi: 10.1002/jso.26230. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32974932.
  • Melstrom LG, Rodin AS, Rossi LA, Fu P Jr, Fong Y, Sun V. Patient generated health data and electronic health record integration in oncologic surgery: A call for artificial intelligence and machine learning. J Surg Oncol. 2020 Sep 24. doi: 10.1002/jso.26232. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32974930.
  • Raoof M, Jutric Z, Haye S, Ituarte PHG, Zhao B, Singh G, Melstrom L, Warner SG, Clary B, Fong Y. Systematic failure to operate on colorectal cancer liver metastases in California. Cancer Med. 2020 Jul 20;9(17):6256–67. doi:10.1002/cam4.3316. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32687265; PMCID: PMC7476837.
  • Fong Y, Buell JF, Collins J, Martinie J, Bruns C, Tsung A, Clavien PA, Nachmany I, Edwin B, Pratschke J, Solomonov E, Koenigsrainer A, Giulianotti PC. Applying the Delphi process for development of a Hepatopancreaticobiliary robotic surgery training curriculum. Surg Endosc. 2020 Oct;34(10):4233-4244. doi: 10.1007/s00464-020-07836-6. Epub 2020 Aug 7. PMID: 32767146.
  • Khan A, Ituarte PHG, Raoof M, Melstrom L, Li H, Yuan YC, Lai L, Benjamin Paz I, Goel A, Fong Y, Woo Y. Disparate and Alarming Impact of Gastrointestinal Cancers in Young Adult Patients. Ann Surg Oncol. 2020 Aug 1. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-08969-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32740736.
  • Fong AJ, Lafaro K, Fong Y. ASO Author Reflections: Access to Healthcare Does Not Mean Access to Health: Food Deserts in the Land of Plenty. Ann Surg Oncol. 2020 Sep 10. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-09059-4. Epub ahead of print. PMID:32910279.
  • Thornblade LW, Warner S, Melstrom L, Singh G, Fong Y, Raoof M. Association of Race/Ethnicity With Overall Survival Among Patients With Colorectal Liver Metastasis. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Sep 1;3(9):e2016019. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.16019. PMID: 32902648; PMCID: PMC7489807.
  • Winkler CS, Sandhu J, Pettke E, Merchea A, Fong Y, Kumara HMCS, Whelan RL. Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy, a Palliative Treatment Approach for Patients With Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: Description of Method and Systematic Review of Literature. Dis Colon Rectum. 2020 Feb;63(2):242-255. doi: 10.1097/DCR.0000000000001565. PMID: 31914116.
  • Ignatavicius P, Oberkofler CE, Chapman WC, DeMatteo RP, Clary BM, D'Angelica MI, Tanabe KK, Hong JC, Aloia TA, Pawlik TM, Hernandez-Alejandro R, Shah SA, Vauthey JN, Torzilli G, Lang H, Line PD, Soubrane O, Pinto-Marques H, Robles-Campos R, Boudjema K, Lodge P, Adam R, Toso C, Serrablo A, Aldrighetti L, DeOliveira ML, Dutkowski P, Petrowsky H, Linecker M, Reiner CS, Braun J, Alikhanov R, Barauskas G, Chan ACY, Dong J, Kokudo N, Yamamoto M, Kang KJ, Fong Y, Rela M, De Aretxabala X, De Santibañes E, Mercado MÁ, Andriani OC, Torres OJM, Pinna AD, Clavien PA. Choices of Therapeutic Strategies for Colorectal Liver Metastases Among Expert Liver Surgeons: A Throw of the Dice? Ann Surg. 2020 Aug 21. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000004331. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32833764.
  • Wong P, White M, Tozzi F, Warner SG, Woo Y, Singh G, Fong Y, Melstrom L. Implications of Postpancreatectomy Hypophosphatemia. Am Surg. 2020 Sep 13:3134820949517. doi: 10.1177/0003134820949517. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32924538.
  • Stewart CL, Thornblade LW, Diamond DJ, Fong Y, Melstrom LG. Personal Protective Equipment and COVID-19: A Review for Surgeons. Ann Surg. 2020 Aug;272(2):e132-e138. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000003991. PMID: 32675516; PMCID: PMC72688

Please click here for a listing of Dr. Fong's publications. City of Hope is not responsible for its accuracy.

Link to more publications on PubMed Yuman Fong - Search Results - PubMed (nih.gov)
Ratings & Reviews
Ratings and reviews below are gathered from the Press Ganey Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG CAHPS) survey. CG CAHPS is a standardized survey that is used to measure a patient's experience in the physician office setting. Ratings are an average of all responses to questions about a provider's care, with 5 stars being the highest.
Ratings
4.9
Show respect for what you say
4.9
Rate provider 0-10
4.9
Recommend this provider office
4.9
Provider explain in way you understand
4.9
Provider listen carefully to you
4.8
Spend enough time with you
4.7
Know important info medical history
Reviews
01/31/23
Good - Verified patient
01/31/23
Good - Verified patient
01/22/23
Dr. Fong takes time to answer all questions. - Verified patient
01/22/23
Grateful to have Dr. Fong as my doctor. - Verified patient
01/20/23
Dr Fong was excellent and extremely thorough. - Verified patient