Cerena Leung, M.D.
Department of Hospital Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Hospital Medicine, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2014 | Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, US, MD |
| 2010 | Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri, US, Psychology, BA |
Postgraduate Training
| 2014-2017 | Resident, Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2024 | American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians |
| 2024 | BLS |
| 2024 | ACLS |
| 2023 | DEA Certificate |
| 2017 | American Board of Internal Medicine |
| 2017 | Texas Medical Board |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 2017 - 2020
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Physician Advisor, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 2024 - Present
The Transition of Care Post-Hospital Discharge Clinic Lead, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2023 - Present
Physician Advisor, Memorial Hermann Health System, Houston, TX, 2018 - 2020
Extramural Institutional Committee Activities
Lead, UR Extended Stay Review Subcommittee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2022 - Present
Member, UR Readmissions Subcommittee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2020 - Present
Member, Utilization Review (UR) Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2020 - Present
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Local Presentations
- 2025. A Transition of Care (TOC) Clinic and Its Impact on Unplanned Readmissions. Invited. Quality Grand Rounds. Houston, TX, US.
- 2025. Survival Prediction Models for Hospitalized Patients. Invited. Center for Goal Concordant Care Annual Retreat. Houston, TX, US.
- 2025. Short-Term Mortality Prediction in Cancer Patients. Invited. Center for Goal Concordant Care: Monthly Scientific Meeting. Houston, TX, US.
- 2024. Unplanned Readmissions. Invited. MDA RSS Emergency Medicine Didactics. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. Validation of a Deterioration Index Model in the Medical Oncology Population. Invited. Center for Goal Concordant Care Research Scientific Retreat. Houston, Texas, US.
- 2024. The Transition of Care (TOC) Post-Hospital Discharge Clinic and Unplanned Readmissions. Invited. DHM-QVSE Conference Series. Houston, TX, US.
National Presentations
- 2023. “Understanding Preventable 7-day Readmission Rates in Hospital Medicine Patients at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.”. Poster. SHM Converge 2023. Austin, TX, US.
International Presentations
- 2025. Prediction of 48-hour Intensive Care Unit Mortality in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: Accuracy of the EPIC Deterioration index and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score. Poster. 2025 ASCO Quality Care Symposium. Chicago, US.
- 2023. “The IMPACT of an interdisciplinary goals-of-care program on readmission rates at a Comprehensive care center.”. Poster. 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. Chicago, US.
- 2023. Risk Factors for Severe COVID-19 Disease and Mortality Among Patients with Cancer. Poster. MASCC/JASCC/ISOO 2023 Annual Meeting. Nara, JP.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Leung C, Cheng L, Walton N, Nortje N, Adelson K, Hui D. Prediction of 48-h Intensive Care Unit Mortality in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: Performance of the EPIC Deterioration Index and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score. J Intensive Care Med, 2025.
- Leung, CK, Walton, NC, Kheder, E, Zalpour, A, Wang, J, Zavgorodnyaya, D, Kondody, S, Zhao, C, Lin, Y, Bruera, E, Manzano, JM. Understanding Potentially Preventable 7-day Readmission Rates in Hospital Medicine Patients at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Am J Med Qual 39(1):14-20, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38127668.
- Leung C, Andersen CR, Wilson K, Nortje N, George M, Flowers C, Bruera E, Hui D. The impact of a multidisciplinary goals-of-care program on unplanned readmission rates at a comprehensive cancer center. Support Care Cancer 32(1):66, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 38150077.
- Manzano JM, Muthu M, Kheder E, Mohammed A, Halm J, Dickson K, Ali N, Leung C, Koom-Dadzie K, Rubio D, Odaro O, Sibille M, Etchegaray M, Wilson K, Lin H, George M. Hospitalization characteristics and outcomes of patients with cancer and COVID-19 at a comprehensive cancer center. Support Care Cancer 30(9):7783-7788, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35705751.
Abstracts
- Leung C, Cheng L, Walton N, Nortje N, Adelson K, Hui D. Prediction of 48-hour Intensive Care Unit Mortality in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: Accuracy of the EPIC deterioration index and sequential organ failure assessment score. 2025 ASCO Quality Care Symposium 21(10_suppl), 2025. e-Pub 2025.
- Manzano JG, Mohammed A, Muthu M, Edelkamp P, Ali N, Lin H, Dickson K, Kheder E, Koom-Dadzie K, Leung C, Odaro O, Rubio D, Senechalle MS, George M, Halm J. Risk Factors for Severe COVID-19 Disease and Mortality Among Patients with Cancer. MASCC/JASCC/ISOO 2023 Annual Meeting 31(Suppl 1):S27, 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Leung C, Andersen CR, Wilson K, Nortje N, George MC, Flowers C, Bruera E, Hui D. The IMPACT of an interdisciplinary goals-of-care program on readmission rates at a Comprehensive care center. 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting 41(16_suppl):6565-6565, 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Ali N, Kheder E, Dickson K, Rubio D, Koom-Dadzie K, Edelkamp P, Lin H, Muthu M, Mohammed A, Leung C, Odaro O, Sibille M, George M, Halm J, Manzano JG. Association of presenting symptoms with COVID-19 disease severity and outcomes among hospitalized patients with cancer and COVID-19. 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting 41(16_suppl):e13581-e13581, 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Leung C, Walton N, Kheder E, Zalpour A, Wang J, Zavgorodnyaya D, Kondody S, Zhao C, Lin H, Bruera E, Manzano J. Understanding Preventable 7-day Readmission Rates in Hospital Medicine Patients at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. SHM Converge 2023 18(s1):s224-s225, 2023. e-Pub 2023.
Book Chapters
- Bruera S, Leung C. Immune-Related Adverse Events with other Cancer Immunotherapies. In: Rheumatic Diseases and Syndromes Induced by Cancer Immunotherapy: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Management. Springer International Publishing, 255-269, 2021.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified December 16, 2025