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Saroj Vadhan-Raj, M.D.

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Professor of Medicine, Internist, Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Chief, Section of Cytokines & Supportive Oncology, Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Professor, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Research Interests

Dr. Vadhan-Raj’s research interests focus on understanding the biology and clinical applications of growth factors and cytokines as supportive agents. Her studies have elucidated the importance of optimal timing and schedule of growth factors to maximize their benefit. Her research contributions have earned her international reputation in this area. Her ongoing research focuses on therapeutic strategies to protect normal tissues and optimize supportive care in the areas of myelosuppression, mucositis, thrombosis, and bone disease. She has given numerous presentations, including the plenary session at the American Society of Hematology and Integrated Scientific Symposium at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). She has published articles in such reputed peer-reviewed journals as The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, Blood, and Journal of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Vadhan-Raj has served on the ASCO Growth Factor Guideline and National Comprehensive Cancer Network Myeloid Growth Factor Guideline panels.

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1978 Grant Medical College, University of Bombay, Bombay, India, MBBS, Medicine
1972 University of Bombay, Bombay, India, Int. S.C., Bombay, India, MD, Honors, Science

Postgraduate Training

7/1982-6/1985 Fellowship, Hematology/Medical Oncology/Clinical Immunology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
7/1980-6/1982 Residency, Internal Medicine, The Brooklyn-Cumberland Medical Center, New York, NY
7/1979-6/1980 Clinical Internship, The Brooklyn-Cumberland Medical Center, New York, NY

Board Certifications

1/1982 American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medi

Honors and Awards

1997 Honoree as a Distinguished Lecturer- Dayton Oncology Society Lecture Series
1987 "Citation Classic: NEJM 1987 Paper: (Vol. 317:1545-52, 1987) was rated as one of the ""hot papers"" by the scientist paper for receiving substantially greater number of citations than others of the same type and vintage "
1978 Gold Medal for "The Best Student of the Year"
1971-1972 Rao Bahadur Scholarship
1970 Gold Medal for Scholastic Achievement

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Vij, R, Howvath N, Spencer A, Taylor K, Vadhan-Raj S, Vescio R, Smith J, Qian Y, Jun S, Yeh H. An open-label, phase 2 trial of denosumab in the treatment of relapsed or plateau-phase multiple myeloma. Am J of Hematology. In Press.
2. Chen W, Konoplev S, Medeiros LJ, Keoppen H, Leventaki V, Vadhan-Raj S. Jones D, Kantarjian HM, Falini B, Bueso-Ramos C. Cuplike nuclei (Prominent nuclear invaginations) in acute myeloid leukemia are highly assocaited with FLT3 Internal Tadem Duplication and NPM1 mutation. Cancer. In Press.
3. Ye D, Garcia-Manero G, Kantarjian HM, Xiao L, Vadhan-Raj S, Fernandez MH, Nguyen MH, Medeiros LJ, Bueso-Ramos CE. Analysis of Aurora Kinase A Expression in CD34+ Blast Cells Isolated from Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Hematopathology 2:2-8, 2009.
4. Cella D, Viswanathan HN, Hays RD, Mendoza TR, Stein KD, Pasta DJ, Foreman AJ, Vadhan-Raj S, Kallich JD. Development of a fatigue and functional impact scale in anemic cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Cancer 113(6):1480-8, 7/2008. PMID: 18642348.
5. Sun X, Zhang W, Ramdas L, Stivers DN, Jones DM, Kantarjian HM, Estey EH, Vadhan-Raj S, Medeiros LJ, Bueso-Ramos CE. Comparative analysis of genes regulated in acute myelomonocytic leukemia with and without inv(16)(p13q22) using microarray techniques, real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry immunophenotyping. Mod Pathol 20(8):811-20, 8/2007. e-Pub 6/15/2007. PMID: 17571080.
6. Bhardwaj A, Sethi G, Vadhan-Raj S, Bueso-Ramos C, Takada Y, Gaur U, Nair AS, Shishodia S, Aggarwal BB. Resveratrol inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis and overcomes chemoresistance through downregulation of STAT3 and nuclear factor-{kappa}B-regulated antiapoptotic and cell survival gene products in human multiple myeloma cells. Blood 109(6):2293-302, 3/15/2007. e-Pub 12/12/2006. PMID: 17164350.
7. Crawford J, Althaus B, Armitage J, Blayney DW, Cataland S, Dale DC, Demetri GD, Foran J, Heaney ML, Htoy S, Kloth DD, Lyman GH, Michaud L, Motl S, Vadhan-Raj S, Wong MK. Myeloid growth factors clinical practice guidelines in oncology. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 5(2):188-202, 2/2007. PMID: 17335688.
8. Krishnan S, Janjan NA, Skibber JM, Rodriguez-Bigas MA, Wolff RA, Das P, Delclos ME, Chang GJ, Hoff PM, Eng C, Brown TD, Crane CH, Feig BW, Morris J, Vadhan-Raj S, Hamilton SR, Lin EH. Phase II study of capecitabine (Xeloda) and concomitant boost radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 66(3):762-71, 11/1/2006. PMID: 17011451.
9. Lin EH, Curley SA, Crane CC, Feig B, Skibber J, Delcos M, Vadhan SR, Morris J, Ayers GD, Ross A, Brown T, Rodriguez-Bigas MA, Janjan N. Retrospective study of capecitabine and celecoxib in metastatic colorectal cancer: potential benefits and COX-2 as the common mediator in pain, toxicities and survival? Am J Clin Oncol 29(3):232-9, 6/2006. PMID: 16755175.
10. Vadhan-Raj S, Bueso-Ramos CE, Hangoc G, Christopherson K, Collard M, Broxmeyer HE. Expansion of bone marrow progenitors and mobilization of multilineage progenitor cells associated with once-per-cycle administration of the long-acting growth factors Pegfilgrastim and Darbepoetin Alfa with chemotherapy. Journal of Supportive Oncology 3:22-23, 2005.
11. Houghton AN, Mintzer D, Cordon-Cardo C, Welt S, Fliegel B, Vadhan-Raj S, Carswell E, Melamed MR, Oettgen HF, Old LJ. Mouse monoclonal IgG3 antibody detecting GD3 ganglioside: a phase I trial in patients with malignant melanoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 82:1242-6, 2/1985. PMID: 3883355.
12. Han X, Garcia-Manero G, Medeiros LJ, Nguyen MH, Fernandez M, Vadhan-Raj S, Zhang YH, Issa JP, Estey E, Kantarjian HM, Bueso-Ramos CE. High expression of HDM4 and the short splicing variant HDM4-S in bone marrow in patients with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome: Evidence for reduced HDM4 expression in early (low-risk) myelodysplastic syndrome. Hematophathology. Submitted.
13. Vadhan-Raj S, Hawkins V, Zhou X, Sizer K, Lal L, Wang X, Roquemore J, Arbuckle R, Benjamin RS, Lichtiger B. Impact of safety concerns and regulatory changes on the usage of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and red cell transfusions. NEJM. Submitted.
Other Articles
1. Vadhan-Raj S. Evolution in supportive Oncology: The role of erythropoietic therapy in the management of myelodysplastic syndrome. Supplement to PDR, 2006.

Last updated: 9/23/2009