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Gregg A. Staerkel, M.D.

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Chief, Section of Cytopathology, Department of Anatomic Pathology, Division of Anatomic Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Professor (term tenured), Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Adjunct Professor, Cytotechnology Program of the School of Health Sciences, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 09/2004-present

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1983 University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, MD, Medicine
1979 University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, BS, Biology

Postgraduate Training

7/1988-7/1989 Cytopathology Fellow, Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Dr. Ruth Katz
7/1987-6/1988 Surgical Pathology Fellow, Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, Dr. Elvio Silva
7/1983-6/1987 Resident, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, Dr. Jerome Smith

Board Certifications

6/1991 American Board of Pathology's Added Qualification in Cytopathology
9/1989 Diplomat of the American Board of Pathology in Combined Anatomic and Clinical Pathology

Experience/Service

Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities

Medical Director (Program Founder), Cytotechnology Program, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 9/1991-present

Professional Memberships

American Medical Association
Member, 1/1979-present
American Society of Clinical Pathologists
Member, 1/1985-present
American Society of Cytopathology
Member, 1/1993-present
College of American Pathologists
Laboratory Inspector and Member, 1/1990-present
Current Concepts of Technologies Committee, American Society of Cytopathology
Member, 11/2006-present
Cytopathology Test Development and Advisory Committee, American Board of Pathology
Member, 1/2005-present
Cytotechnology Examination Committee's Subcommittee on Board Eligibility, American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry
Member, 1/2003-present
Cytotechnology Examination Committee, American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry
Member, 1/2002-present
Cytotechnology Programs Review Committee (Accreditation Review), American Society of Cytopathology
Member, 11/1994-11/2000
Houston Society of Clinical Pathologists, Houston, TX
Member, 1/1987-present
M. D. Anderson Alumni and Faculty Association, Houston, TX
Member, 1/1987-present
Texas Medical Association, Houston, TX
Member, 1/1979-present
Texas Society of Cytology, Houston, TX
President, 1/2003-1/2004
Texas Society of Cytology, Houston, TX
President-Elect, 1/2002-1/2003
United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology
Member, 1/2006-present
UTMB Alumni Association, Galveston, TX
Member, 1/1983-present

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Lee JH, Stewart J, Ross WA, Anandasabapathy S, Xiao L, Staerkel G. Blinded Prospective Comparison of the Performance of 22-Gauge and 25-Gauge Needles in Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration of the Pancreas and Peri-pancreatic Lesions. Dig Dis Sci. e-Pub 8/2009. PMID: 19669880.
2. Antic T, Staerkel G. Mediastinal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma metastatic to lymph nodes and pleural fluid: Report of a case. Diagn Cytopathol. e-Pub 8/2009. PMID: 19688765.
3. Payne M, Staerkel G, Gong Y. Indeterminate diagnosis in fine-needle aspiration of the pancreas: reasons and clinical implications. Diagn Cytopathol 37(1):21-9, 1/2009. PMID: 18973122.
4. Katz MH, Mortenson MM, Wang H, Hwang R, Tamm EP, Staerkel G, Lee JH, Evans DB, Fleming JB. Diagnosis and management of cystic neoplasms of the pancreas: an evidence-based approach. J Am Coll Surg 207(1):106-20, 7/2008. PMID: 18589369.
5. Badgwell B, Cormier JN, Krishnan S, Yao J, Staerkel GA, Lupo PJ, Pisters PW, Feig B, Mansfield P. Does Neoadjuvant Treatment for Gastric Cancer Patients with Positive Peritoneal Cytology at Staging Laparoscopy Improve Survival? Ann Surg Oncol 15(10):2684-91, 7/2008. PMID: 18649106.
6. Varadhachary GR, Wolff RA, Crane CH, Sun CC, Lee JE, Pisters PW, Vauthey JN, Abdalla E, Wang H, Staerkel GA, Lee JH, Ross WA, Tamm EP, Bhosale PR, Krishnan S, Das P, Ho L, Xiong H, Abbruzzese JL, Evans DB. Preoperative gemcitabine and cisplatin followed by gemcitabine-based chemoradiation for resectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head. J Clin Oncol 26(21):3487-95, 7/2008. PMID: 18640929.
7. Evans DB, Varadhachary GR, Crane CH, Sun CC, Lee JE, Pisters PW, Vauthey JN, Wang H, Cleary KR, Staerkel GA, Charnsangavej C, Lano EA, Ho L, Lenzi R, Abbruzzese JL, Wolff RA. Preoperative gemcitabine-based chemoradiation for patients with resectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head. J Clin Oncol 26(21):3496-502, 7/2008. PMID: 18640930.
8. Ross WA, Wasan SM, Evans DB, Wolff RA, Trapani LV, Staerkel GA, Prindiville T, Lee JH. Combined EUS with FNA and ERCP for the evaluation of patients with obstructive jaundice from presumed pancreatic malignancy. Gastrointest Endosc 68(3):461-6, 4/2008. PMID: 18384788.
9. Grubbs EG, Rich TA, Li G, Sturgis EM, Younes MN, Myers JN, Edeiken-Monroe B, Fornage BD, Monroe DP, Staerkel GA, Williams MD, Waguespack SG, Hu MI, Cote G, Gagel RF, Cohen J, Weber RS, Anaya DA, Holsinger FC, Perrier ND, Clayman GL, Evans DB. Recent advances in thyroid cancer. Curr Probl Surg 45(3):156-250, 3/2008. PMID: 18346477.
10. Baruch AC, Wang H, Staerkel GA, Evans DB, Hwang RF, Krishnamurthy S. Immunocytochemical study of the expression of mesothelin in fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Diagn Cytopathol 35(3):143-147, 3/2007. PMID: 17304533.
11. Guillaud M, Benedet JL, Cantor SB, Staerkel G, Follen M, MacAulay C. DNA ploidy compared with human papilloma virus testing (Hybrid Capture II) and conventional cervical cytology as a primary screening test for cervical high-grade lesions and cancer in 1555 patients with biopsy confirmation. Cancer 107(2):309-318, 6/2006. PMID: 16773634.
12. Huang P, Staerkel G, Sneige N, Gong Y. Fine-needle aspiration of pancreatic serous cystadenoma: cytologic features and diagnostic pitfalls. Cancer Cytopathol 108(4):239-249, 5/2006. PMID: 16691573.
13. Raut CP, Cleary KR, Staerkel GA, Abbruzzese JL, Wolff RA, Lee JH, Vauthey JN, Lee JE, Pisters PW, Evans DB. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: effect of invasion and pancreatic margin status on recurrence and survival. Ann Surg Oncol 13(4):582-94, 4/2006. PMID: 16523362.
14. Alrahwan D, Staerkel G, Gong Y. Fine needle aspiration cytology of a metastatic duct carcinoma of the prostate: a case report. Acta Cytol 50(4):469-72, 2006.
15. Gong Y, Caraway N, Stewart J, Staerkel G. Metastatic ductal adenocarcinoma of the prostate: cytologic features and clinical findings. Am J Clin Pathol 126(2):302-309, 2006.
16. Malpica A, Matisic JP, Niekirk DV, Crum CP, Staerkel GA, Yamal JM, Guillaud MH, Cox DD, Atkinson EN, Adler-Storthz K, Poulin NM, Macaulay CA, Follen M. Kappa statistics to measure interrater and intrarater agreement for 1790 cervical biopsy specimens among twelve pathologists: qualitative histopathologic analysis and methodologic issues. Gynecol Oncol 99(3 Suppl 1):S38-52, 12/2005. PMID: 16183106.
17. Guillaud M, Adler-Storthz K, Malpica A, Staerkel G, Matisic J, Van Niekirk D, Cox D, Poulin N, Follen M, MacAulay C. Subvisual chromatin changes in cervical epithelium measured by texture image analysis and correlated with HPV. Gynecol Oncol 99(3 Suppl 1):S16-23, 12/2005. PMID: 16188299.
18. Wasan SM, Ross WA, Staerkel GA, Lee JH. Use of expandable metallic biliary stents in resectable pancreatic cancer. Am J Gastroenterol 100(9):2056-61, 9/2005. PMID: 16128952.
19. Tabatabai ZL, Staerkel GA. Distinguishing primary and metastatic conventional renal cell carcinoma from other malignant neoplasms in fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens. Arch Pathol Lab Med 129(8):1017-21, 8/2005. PMID: 16048391.
20. Gong Y, Jalali M, Staerkel G. Fine needle aspiration cytology of a thyroid metastasis of metaplastic breast carcinoma: a case report. Acta Cytol 49(3):327-30, 5/2005. PMID: 15966298.
21. Ren R, Sun X, Staerkel G, Sneige N, Gong Y. Fine-needle aspiration cytology of a liver metastasis of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma. Diagn Cytopathol 32(1):38-43, 2005. PMID: 15584048.
22. Nath A, Rivoire K, Chang S, West L, Cantor SB, Basen-Engquist K, Adler-Storthz K, Cox DD, Atkinson EN, Staerkel G, MacAulay C, Richards-Kortum R, Follen M. A pilot study for a screening trial of cervical fluorescence spectroscopy. Int J Gynecol Cancer 14(6):1097-1107, 11/2004. PMID: 15571615.
23. Guillaud M, Cox D, Adler-Storthz K, Malpica A, Staerkel G, Matisic J, Van Niekerk D, Poulin N, Follen M, MacAulay C. Exploratory analysis of quantitative histopathology of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: objectivity, reproducibility, malignancy-associated changes, and human papillomavirus. Cytometry A 60A(1):81-9, 7/2004. PMID: 15229860.
24. Guillaud M, Cox D, Malpica A, Staerkel G, Matisic J, Van Niekirk D, Adler-Storthz K, Poulin N, Follen M, Macaulay C. Quantitative histopathological analysis of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia sections: methodological issues. Cell Oncol 26(12):31-43, 2004. PMID: 15371655.
25. Sclabas GM, Staerkel GA, Shapiro SE, Fornage BD, Sherman SI, Vassillopoulou-Sellin R, Lee JE, Evans DB. Fine-needle aspiration of the thyroid and correlation with histopathology in a contemporary series of 240 patients. Am J Surg 186(6):702-9; discussion 709-10, 12/2003. PMID: 14672783.
26. Lin F, Staerkel G, Fanning TV. Cytodiagnosis of primary lymphoma of bone on fine-needle aspiration cytology specimens: review of 25 cases. Diagn Cytopathol 28(4):205-11, 4/2003. PMID: 12672096.
27. Lin F, Staerkel G. Cytologic criteria for well differentiated adenocarcinoma of the pancreas in fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens. Cancer 99(1):44-50, 2/2003. PMID: 12589645.
28. Cox DD, Chang SK, Dawood MY, Staerkel G, Utzinger U, Richards-Kortum RR, Follen M. Detecting the signal of the menstrual cycle in fluorescence spectroscopy of the cervix. Appl Spectrosc 57(1):67-72, 2003. PMID: 14610938.
29. Raut CP, Grau AM, Staerkel GA, Kaw M, Tamm EP, Wolff RA, Vauthey JN, Lee JE, Pisters PW, Evans DB. Diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in patients with presumed pancreatic cancer. J Gastrointest Surg 7(1):118-26; discussion 127-8, 2003. PMID: 12559193.
30. Chang SK, Dawood MY, Staerkel G, Utzinger U, Atkinson EN, Richards-Kortum RR, Follen M. Fluorescence spectroscopy for cervical precancer detection: Is there variance across the menstrual cycle? J Biomed Opt 7(4):595-602, 10/2002. PMID: 12421126.
31. Chang SK, Follen M, Malpica A, Utzinger U, Staerkel G, Cox D, Atkinson EN, MacAulay C, Richards-Kortum R. Optimal excitation wavelengths for discrimination of cervical neoplasia. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 49(10):1102-11, 10/2002. PMID: 12374334.
32. El-Naggar AK, Mao L, Staerkel G, Coombes MM, Tucker SL, Luna MA, Clayman GL, Lippman S, Goepfert H. Genetic heterogeneity in saliva from patients with oral squamous carcinomas: implications in molecular diagnosis and screening. J Mol Diagn 3(4):164-70, 11/2001. PMID: 11687600.
33. Liu J, Shin HJ, Rubenchik I, Lang E, Lahoti S, Staerkel GA. Cytologic features of lymphoepithelial cyst of the pancreas: two preoperatively diagnosed cases based on fine-needle aspiration. Diagn Cytopathol 21(5):346-50, 11/1999. PMID: 10527483.
34. Thomas JW, Staerkel GA, Whitman GJ. Pulmonary hamartoma. AJR Am J Roentgenol 172(6):1643, 6/1999. PMID: 10350308.
35. Shin HJ, Sneige N, Staerkel GA. Utility of punch biopsy for lesions that are hard to aspirate by conventional fine-needle aspiration. Cancer 87(3):149-54, 6/1999. PMID: 10385446.
36. Brookner CK, Utzinger U, Staerkel G, Richards-Kortum R, Mitchell MF. Cervical fluorescence of normal women. Lasers Surg Med 24(1):29-37, 1999. PMID: 10037349.
37. Bouvet M, Staerkel GA, Spitz FR, Curley SA, Charnsangavej C, Hagemeister FB, Janjan NA, Pisters PW, Evans DB. Primary pancreatic lymphoma. Surgery 123(4):382-90, 4/1998. PMID: 9551063.
38. Yu GH, Staerkel GA, Kershisnik MM, Varma DG. Fine-needle aspiration of pigmented villonodular synovitis of the temporomandibular joint masquerading as a primary parotid gland lesion. Diagn Cytopathol 16(1):47-50, 1997. PMID: 9034737.
39. Ramanujam N, Mitchell MF, Mahadevan-Jansen A, Thomsen SL, Staerkel G, Malpica A, Wright T, Atkinson N, Richards-Kortum R. Cervical precancer detection using a multivariate statistical algorithm based on laser-induced fluorescence spectra at multiple excitation wavelengths. Photochem Photobiol 64(4):720-35, 10/1996. PMID: 8863480.
40. Sneige N, Staerkel GA, Caraway NP, Fanning TV, Katz RL. A plea for uniform terminology and reporting of breast fine needle aspirates. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center proposal. Acta Cytol 38(6):971-2, 11/1994. PMID: 7992590.
41. Sneige N, Staerkel GA. Fine-needle aspiration cytology of ductal hyperplasia with and without atypia and ductal carcinoma in situ. Hum Pathol 25(5):485-92, 5/1994. PMID: 8200642.
42. Caraway NP, Staerkel GA, Fanning CV, Varma DG, Pollock RE. Diagnosing intramuscular myxoma by fine-needle aspiration: a multidisciplinary approach. Diagn Cytopathol 11(3):255-61, 1994. PMID: 7867468.
43. Caraway NP, Fanning CV, Wojcik EM, Staerkel GA, Benjamin RS, Ordonez NG. Cytology of malignant melanoma of soft parts: fine-needle aspirates and exfoliative specimens. Diagn Cytopathol 9(6):632-8, 12/1993. PMID: 8143535.
44. Dodd LG, Sneige N, Villarreal Y, Fanning CV, Staerkel GA, Caraway NP, Silva EG, Katz RL. Quality-assurance study of simultaneously sampled, non-correlating cervical cytology and biopsies. Diagn Cytopathol 9(2):138-44, 1993. PMID: 8513706.
45. Fanning CV, Staerkel GA, Sneige N, Thomsen S, Myhre MJ, Von Eschenbach AC. Spindling artifact of urothelial cells in post-laser treatment urinary cytology. Diagn Cytopathol 9(3):279-81, 1993. PMID: 7632179.

Book Chapters
1. Staerkel G, Sneige N. Diagnostic methodologies: fine needle aspiration cytology. (A volume in the series foundations in diagnostic pathology) . In: Breast Pathology (Chapter 1). Ed(s) O'Malley FP, Pinder SE, Goldblum JR. Churchill, Livingstone/Elsevier: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1-9, 2006.
2. Lin F, Staerkel GA. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In: Handbook of Immunohistochemistry and In-Situ Hybridization of Human Carcinomas, Molecular Genetics: Liver and Pancreatic Carcinomas (Chapter 16). 3, 1st. Ed(s) Hayat MA. Elsevier Academic Press: Burlington, Massachusetts, 397-406, 2005.
3. Lin F, Staerkel G. Fine Needle aspiration biopsy of the pancreas. In: Focus on Pancreatic Cancer Research: Horizons in Cancer Research (Chapter 1). 15. Ed(s) Loft MA. Nova Biomedical Books: New York, New York, 1-32, 2005.
4. Staerkel GA. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the pancreas: indications and interpretations. In: Pancreatic Cancer (Chapter 15), 1st. Ed(s) Von Hoff DD, Evans DB, Hruban RH. Jones and Bartlett: Sudbury, Massachusetts, 225-234, 2005.
5. Grignon DI, Staerkel GA. Surgical diseases of the kidney. In: Principles and Practice of Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology (Chapter 32), 4th. Ed(s) Silverberg S, LiVolsi V, Wick M, DeLellis R, Frable W. Elsevier Academic Press: Burlington, Massachusetts, 1661-1706, 2005.
6. Grignon DJ, Staerkel GA. Surgical diseases of the kidney. In: Principles and Practice of Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology (Chapter 45), 3rd. Ed(s) Silverberg SG. Churchill Livingstone: New York, New York, 2135-2184, 1997.

Last updated: 9/22/2009