Welcome to the Division of Surgical Oncology
Faculty members in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Surgical Oncology are teachers at the VCU School of Medicine and physicians and researchers at VCU Health. Our surgical oncologists are integrated in and contribute to the clinical care, education, and training programs, and basic, translational, and clinical research activities of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Richmond’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center.
Patient Care
Our surgical oncologists are board-certified and have expertise and experience that distinguishes them as leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. They use cutting-edge techniques and the latest technologies to offer the most advanced procedures.
Our surgeons work in multidisciplinary teams at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center to treat the following disease types:
- Breast cancer and benign breast conditions
- Colon and rectal cancer
- Endocrine tumors, including thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal
- Gastrointestinal cancers and benign GI conditions, including stomach, esophageal, and liver cancers
- Pancreatic and biliary neoplasms
- Sarcomas
- Skin cancer, including melanoma
For patient appointments, please call (804) 628-3111
Clinical Expertise
Faculty members in our division are research members at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and are engaged in basic, translational, and clinical cancer research. They are collaborating with laboratory and social and behavioral researchers to investigate new and better treatment options and explore ways to improve the patient care experience. They serve as principal investigators of clinical trials for gastrointestinal cancers, melanoma, breast cancer, and immunotherapy. They also conduct basic and translational research on breast cancer biology and immunotherapy.
- Harry Bear helped Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and an international cooperative group pioneer neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer. Neoadjuvant therapy, which involves pre-operative chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or radiation therapy to shrink tumors before surgery, may improve surgical outcomes or allow patients who were not candidates for surgery to become eligible for surgery and may convert patients from total to partial mastectomy candidates. Neoadjuvant systemic therapy also can allow for “de-escalation” of axillary node surgery, and most importantly, provided critical prognostic information based on response that will guide post-surgical adjuvant therapy. He also developed a phase 2 clinical trial at Massey to test a genomic classifier as a guide to choosing neoadjuvant endocrine versus chemotherapy and another trial, based on his laboratory research, that is testing the benefits of adding an experimental immunotherapy combination before standard chemotherapy and surgery for breast cancer patients.
- Leopoldo Fernandez is leading one of only two hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) programs in the state of Virginia and is currently studying the outcomes of this therapy on the treatment of advanced abdominal cancers.
- Amelia Grover was the first in the region to perform robotic thyroidectomies, a thyroid surgery assisted by a robot that is minimally invasive and has a quicker recovery time. She also chairs the American College of Surgeons Committee on Diversity Issues, addressing disparities in health care and the workforce.
- Raphael Louie recently completed an NIH T32 training grant in geriatric oncology at UNC where he was working with mentors in medical oncology, geriatrics, and public health to implement patient-reported outcome measures to improve perioperative risk assessment in geriatric surgical oncology population. His current research combines surgical oncology and public health interests to innovatively address disparities and to improve cancer care for the geriatric population.
- Kandace McGuire was the first in the region to use a new, FDA-approved device named Magseed™ that guides surgeons in locating and removing breast tumors and is a simpler, more effective alternative to traditional wire localization methods.
- Jose Trevino has expertise in the liver, bile duct, and pancreas surgery. He also conducts research with specific interests in pancreatic cancer. He currently holds multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Florida Department of Health that support his work examining pancreatic cancer biology and tumor microenvironment, cancer cachexia, novel therapeutics, and how it relates to pancreatic cancer health equity. His most recent groundbreaking study on ethnic subgroups and pancreatic cancer outcomes, published in the journal Cancer Medicine, is one of the first to examine the connection between the disease and ancestral racial diversity among Black and Latinx populations.
Faculty
Harry D. Bear, MD, PhD
Professor
Harry D. Bear, MD, PhD
Professor
Department of Surgery
Professor of Surgery and Microbiology and Immunology and Interim Associate Director for Clinical Research of Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University
Phone: 804-628-2322
Email: harry.bear@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
1200 East Broad St.
West Hospital, 4th Floor, South Wing
Box 980011
Richmond, VA 23298-0011
Leopoldo Fernandez, MD
Assistant Professor
Leopoldo Fernandez, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery
Surgical Oncologist at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Phone: 804-628-2322
Email: leopoldo.fernandez@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
1200 East Broad St.
West Hospital, 4th Floor, South Wing
Box 980011
Richmond, VA 23298-0011
Amelia C. Grover, MD
Professor
Amelia C. Grover, MD
Professor
Department of Surgery
Surgical Oncologist at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Phone: 804-628-2322
Email: amelia.grover@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
1200 East Broad St.
West Hospital 4th Floor, South Wing
Box 980011
Richmond, VA 23298-0011
Adam Khader, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Adam Khader, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery
Surgical Oncologist at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Phone: 804-628-3241
Email: adam.khader@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
1200 East Broad St.
West Hospital, 4th Floor, South Wing
Box 980011
Richmond, VA 23298-0011
Raphael Louie, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Raphael Louie, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery
Surgical Oncologist at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Phone: 804-628-2322
Email: raphael.louie@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
1200 East Broad St.
West Hospital, 4th Floor, South Wing
Box 980011
Richmond, VA 23298-0011
Kandace P McGuire, MD
Professor
Kandace P McGuire, MD
Professor
Department of Surgery
Surgical Oncologist at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Phone: 804-628-2322
Email: kandace.mcguire@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
1200 East Broad St.
West Hospital, 4th Floor, South Wing
Box 980011
Richmond, VA 23298-0011
Benjamin Schmidt, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor
Benjamin Schmidt, MD, FACS
Assistant Professor
Department of Surgery
Surgical Oncologist at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Phone: 804-628-2322
Email: benjamin.schmidt@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
1200 East Broad St.
West Hospital, 4th Floor, South Wing
Box 980011
Richmond, VA 23298-0011
Jose G. Trevino, MD
Division Chair
Jose G. Trevino, MD
Division Chair
Department of Surgery
Walter J. Lawrence Jr. Distinguished Professor of Oncology, VCU School of Medicine
Chair, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery
Surgeon-in-Chief, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Phone: 804-628-2322
Email: jose.trevino@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
1200 East Broad St.
West Hospital, 4th Floor, South Wing
Box 980011
Richmond, VA 23298-0011
Advanced Practice Providers
Rebekah Augustine, FNP
Patricia Bragg, FNP
Casey Howell, FNP
Ashley Tromblay, PA
Research
Clinical and outcomes research remain a central component of our division’s mission.
We participate in several industry, society and federally funded clinical trials; and clinical and experimental research projects. Current projects include:
- Precision PromiseSM is a multi-center, Phase 2/3 platform trial designed to evaluate multiple regimens in metastatic pancreatic cancer.
- NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) - Network Group Operations Center
Research Expertise
Kandice McGuire: Actively participates in clinical trials and in health services research in the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center (MCC). Served as the institutional PI for several cooperative group trials. Dr. McGuire’s particular research areas of interest are locoregional therapies for breast cancer in underserved populations. She also serves on the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center (MCC) Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC).
Jose Trevino: The pancreatic cancer health disparities lab is led by Jose Trevino. The research focus is dedicated to the better understanding of adenocarcinoma amongst a diverse patient population with investigations of key questions impeding better clinical outcomes and therapeutic target development. He has a significant basic science/translational research background with expertise in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (pancreatic cancer). His clinical research interests are in pancreatic cancer health disparities where there seems to be a biological role in how pancreatic cancer is more aggressive in Blacks when compared to White. His role as a surgeon-scientist allows for better understanding of the clinical problem in order to form provocative and actionable translational questions. His group is on the forefront of therapeutic discovery for personalized medicine and we relate our translational work for clinical trial development, addressing the significant cancer health disparity in pancreatic cancer.
Our group has championed the under recognized health disparity in pancreatic cancer. Epidemiologic data from our group has established certain racial/ethnic groups have a worse outcome (Blacks) while others have a survival benefit (Hispanic/Latinx). When all socioeconomic and clinical data are controlled, the pancreatic cancer disparity still exists and thus promoting our work in possible biological differences amongst races of different ancestry.
Harry Bear: Serves on the NRG Oncology Breast Committee and Breast Working Group and co-chair the NRG Immunomodulation Subcommittee. Also a member of the NCI Breast Immuno-Oncology Task Force, formed in November, 2017. Previously, Currently, he is the MCC interim associate director for clinical research. Co-PI of VCU MCC’s Minority/Underserved NCI Community Oncology Research Program, funded by a grant from the NCI. We are particularly proud that our accrual of minority patients to clinical trials closely mirrors our patient population, with 25-30% of trial subjects coming from under-represented minorities. Dr. Bear has created the breast clinical research program, within the Division as well as creating a culture of emphasis on translational research and clinical trials and have worked diligently over the years to spread this culture to other site-specific programs.
Publications
Madan E*, Palma AM*, Vudatha V, Trevino JG, Natarajan KN, Winn RA, Won KJ, Graham TA, Drapkin R, McDonald SA, Fisher PB, Gogna R. Cell Competition in Carcinogenesis. Cancer Research. Submitted - 2nd author
Wu HY, Trevino JG, Fang BL, Riner AN, Vudatha V, Zhang GH, Li YP. Patient-Derived Pancreatic Cancer Cells Induce C2C12 Myotube Atrophy by Releasing Hsp70 and Hsp90. Cells. 2022 Sep 3;11(17):2756. doi: 10.3390/cells11172756. PMID: 36078164; PMCID: PMC9455268. - 5th author
Freudenberger DC, Deng X, Vudatha V, Riner AN, Herremans KM, Bandyopadhyay D, Fernandez LJ, Trevino JG. Racial Disparities in Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: Does Aggressive Surgical Treatment Overcome Cancer Health Inequities? Front Oncol. 2022 Jun 8;12:899488. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.899488. PMID: 35756651; PMCID: PMC9213675. - 3rd author
Freudenberger DC*, Vudatha V*, Riner AN, Herremans KM, Fernandez LJ, Trevino JG. A Review of the Clinical Implications of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and BMI in Patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Receiving Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Jun 9;14(12):2853. doi: 10.3390/cancers14122853. PMID: 35740519; PMCID: PMC9221457. - 1st author
Vudatha V, Devarakonda T, Liu C, Freudenberger DC, Riner AN, Herremans KM, Trevino JG. Review of Mechanisms and Treatment of Cancer-Induced Cardiac Cachexia. Cells. 2022 Mar 18;11(6):1040. doi: 10.3390/cells11061040. PMID: 35326491; PMCID: PMC8947347. - 1st author
Alwatari Y, Vudatha V, Scheese D, Rustom S, Ayalew D, Sevdalis AE, Julliard W, Shah RD. Utilization of Supplemental Regional Anesthesia in Lobectomy for Lung Cancer in the United States: A Retrospective Study. J Chest Surg. 2022 Jun 5;55(3):225-232. doi: 10.5090/jcs.21.152. PMID: 35538004; PMCID: PMC9178309. - 2nd author
Riner AN, Girma S, Vudatha V, Mukhopadhyay N, Skoro N, Gal TS, Freudenberger DC, Herremans KM, George TJ, Trevino JG. Eligibility Criteria Perpetuate Disparities in Enrollment and Participation of Black Patients in Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials. J Clin Oncol. 2022 Jul 10;40(20):2193-2202. doi: 10.1200/JCO.21.02492. Epub 2022 Mar 22. PMID: 35316089; PMCID: PMC9273372. - 3rd author
Sullivan T, Ruch BC, Vudatha V, Julliard WA, Shah RD. Bochdalek Hernia With Gastric Necrosis Requiring Roux-en-Y Esophagojejunostomy. Ann Thorac Surg. 2022 Jun;113(6):e449-e451. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.08.046. Epub 2021 Sep 25. PMID: 34582760. - 3rd author
Nestler JA, Kim JK, Goodreau AM, Mountziaris PM, McGuire KP. Invasive stage III breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma successfully treated with incomplete resection. BMJ Case Rep. 2022 Apr 4;15(4):e246664. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2021-246664. PMID: 35379678; PMCID: PMC8981349.
Gallagher KK, Iles K, Kuzmiak C, Louie R, McGuire KP, Ollila DW. Prospective Evaluation of Radar-Localized Reflector-Directed Targeted Axillary Dissection in Node-Positive Breast Cancer Patients after Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy. J Am
Coll Surg. 2022 Apr 1;234(4):538-545. doi: 10.1097/XCS.0000000000000098. PMID: 35290273.
Edmonds MC, Dahman B, McGuire K, Sheppard VB. Influential factors in Black and White breast cancer survivors' beliefs about breast cancer. Psychooncology. 2022 Feb;31(2):271-281. doi: 10.1002/pon.5807. Epub 2021 Sep 29. PMID: 34590395; PMCID: PMC8818015.
McGuire KP. "It's not you, it's us": Promoting physician wellness requires systematic change. Am J Surg. 2022 Jan;223(1):4-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.08.025. Epub 2021 Aug 28. PMID: 34462102.
Surgical Oncology Fellowship
The Division is dedicated to the advancement of education for future and current surgeons and oncologists. Our surgeons teach continuing professional development courses for physicians and other health care professionals to contribute to their medical knowledge and clinical competence, positively impacting health outcomes in our community. We also offer a surgical oncology fellowship program, which provides opportunities for the next generation of surgical oncologists to train in one of the country’s leading cancer centers.
Surgical Oncology FellowshipContact Us
Jose G. Trevino, MD, FACS
Chair, Division of Surgical Oncology
jose.trevino@vcuhealth.org
Kimberly Mason
Fellowship Coordinator
kimberly.mason2@vcuhealth.org
Office Location
West Hospital
4th Floor, South Wing
Mailing Address
Box 980011
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0011
Phone: (804) 628–2322
Fax: (804) 828-4808
For patient appointments, please call (804) 628-3111