Xin Shelley Wang, MD, MPH
Department of Symptom Research, Division of Internal Medicine
About Dr. Wang
Xin Shelley Wang's clinical and translational research focuses on the measurement of patient-reported outcomes (PROs), the impact of culture and nationality on symptom reporting, and mechanism-driven interventions for cancer-related symptoms. She investigates symptom burden in cancer survivors and in patients who are undergoing active treatment or who have advanced disease. Among those undergoing aggressive therapies, such as concurrent chemoradiation, cancer surgery, and stem cell transplant, her research in the area of cancer-related fatigue and other sickness symptoms has illustrated the important relationship between inflammatory cytokines and the development of major symptom burden―a better understanding of which might lead to mechanism-driven symptom control. She has expertise in conducting longitudinal studies and interpreting the clinical meaningfulness of PRO data. These methods are applicable to both clinical practice and clinical trials.
The symptom assessment tools that Dr. Wang has developed and validated, including the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and various disease-specific and treatment-specific modules and language versions of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), are widely used in clinical practice and in research in China and other countries.
Dr. Wang is the principal investigator for grants funded by the National Cancer Institute of the US National Institutes of Health and by the American Cancer Society, focusing on the development of PRO-based clinical methods for evaluating the symptomatic benefit and/or burden of cancer treatments and for improving perioperative care. As principal investigator, she leads the project design, oversees progress, and collaborates with research and clinical faculty across the institution.
Dr. Wang contributes to international clinical research and education on symptom science, which investigates patient-reported symptoms and their impact on functional status and quality of life. Her work has provided a comparison of cross-cultural, cross-national similarities and differences in symptom reporting.
Dr. Wang's current projects are focused on developing targeted PRO assessment tools (based on the MDASI and its modules) to assess the symptom burden related to specific cancers and treatment modalities and on establishing clinically useful methods for incorporating these PROs into routine patient care. The results of her studies should provide strong support for the inclusion of PROs as new outcome measures to improve the care of patients with cancer.
Dr. Wang received her medical degree in China and practiced oncology there for 10 years. She has published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals, some in high-impact journals.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Symptom Research, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Division of OVP, Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Dr. Wang's research focuses on the symptoms in cancer survivors or patients who are undergoing active treatment or who have advanced disease. She has been involved in the development and validation of patient-reported outcome (PRO) symptom assessment tools in cancer patients, with different diseases and languages. Among cancer patients undergoing aggressive therapies, such as concurrent chemoradiation, cancer surgery and stem cell transplant, her research in the area of cancer-related fatigue and other sickness symptoms has illustrated the important relationship between inflammatory cytokines and the development of major symptom burden, a better understanding of which might lead to potential mechanism-driven symptom control. Dr. Wang contributed on multiple aspects of methodological research on interpretation of the PRO tools. She has expertise for conducting longitudinal studies and interpreting the clinical meaningful of PRO data. These methods are applicable to clinical practice and clinical trials. Dr. Wang also contributed to the international clinical research and education on symptom science that investigated patient reported symptoms and their impact on functional status and quality of life. Her work provided a comparison of cross-cultural, cross-national similarities and differences in symptom reporting.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2004 | The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA, MPH, International Health |
| 1984 | Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing, CHN, MD, Medicine |
Postgraduate Training
| 1989-1990 | Chief Residency, Medical Oncology, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing |
| 1987-1989 | Clinical Residency, Medical Oncology, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing |
| 1987-1989 | Research Fellowship, Biochemistry, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing |
| 1986-1987 | Clinical Residency, Hematology, First Hospital of Beijing Medical University, Beijing |
| 1984-1986 | Clinical Residency, Medical Oncology, Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Symptom Research, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2006 - 2013
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Division of OVP, Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2006 - 2013
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Wang XS, Kamal M, Chen TH, Shi Q, Garcia-Gonzalez A, Iniesta M, Cleeland C, Gottumukkala V, Meyer L. Assessment of Physical Function by Subjective and Objective Methods in Patients Undergoing Open Gynecologic Surger. Gynecologic Oncology 161(1):83-88, 2021.
- Wang XS, Shi Q, Bhadkamkar NA, Cleeland CS, Garcia-Gonzalez A, Aguilar JR, Heijnen C, Eng C. Minocycline for Symptom Reduction During Oxaliplatin-Based Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: A Phase II Randomized Clinical Trial. J Pain Symptom Manage 58(4):662-71, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31254639.
- Wang XS, Shi Q, Dougherty PM, Eng C, Mendoza TR, Williams LA, Fogelman DR, Cleeland CS. Prechemotherapy touch-sensation deficits predict oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy in patients with colorectal cancer. Oncology 90(3):127-35, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26882477.
- Mendoza TR, Wang XS, Williams LA, Shi Q, Vichaya EG, Dougherty PM, Thomas SK, Yucel E, Bastida CC, Woodruff JF, Cleeland CS. Measuring therapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: preliminary development and validation of the Treatment-induced Neuropathy Assessment Scale (TNAS). J Pain 16(10):1032-43, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26210041.
- Wang XS, Shi Q, Williams LA, Shah ND, Mendoza TR, Cohen EN, Reuben JM, Cleeland CS, Orlowski RZ. Longitudinal analysis of patient-reported symptoms post-autologous stem cell transplant and their relationship to inflammation in patients with multiple myeloma. Leuk Lymphoma 56(5):1-7, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25248883.
- Wang XS, Shi Q, Shah ND, Heijnen CJ, Cohen EN, Reuben JM, Orlowski RZ, Qazilbash MH, Johnson VE, Williams LA, Mendoza TR, Cleeland CS. Inflammatory markers and development of symptom burden in patients with multiple myeloma during autologous stem cell transplantation. Clin Cancer Res 20(5):1366-74, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24423611.
- Wang XS, Zhao F, Fisch MJ, O'Mara AM, Cella D, Mendoza TR, Cleeland CS. Prevalence and characteristics of moderate-to-severe fatigue: a multicenter study in cancer patients and survivors. Cancer 120(3):425-32, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24436136.
- Wang XS, Rhines LD, Shiu AS, Yang JN, Selek U, Gning I, Liu P, Allen PK, Azeem SS, Brown PD, Sharp HJ, Weksberg DC, Cleeland CS, Chang EL. Stereotactic body radiation therapy for management of spinal metastases in patients without spinal cord compression: a phase 1-2 trial. Lancet Oncol 13(4):395-402, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22285199.
- Cleeland CS, Mendoza TR, Wang XS, Woodruff JF, Palos GR, Richman SP, Nazario A, Lynch GR, Liao KP, Mobley GM, Lu C. Levels of symptom burden during chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer: differences between public hospitals and a tertiary cancer center. J Clin Oncol 29(21):2859-65, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21690477.
- Cleeland CS, Wang XS, Shi Q, Mendoza TR, Wright SL, Berry MD, Malveaux D, Shah PK, Gning I, Hofstetter WL, Putnam JB, Vaporciyan AA. Automated symptom alerts reduce postoperative symptom severity after cancer surgery: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Clin Oncol 29(8):994-1000, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21282546.
- Wang XS, Shi Q, Williams LA, Mao L, Cleeland CS, Komaki RR, Mobley GM, Liao Z. Inflammatory cytokines are associated with the development of symptom burden in patients with NSCLC undergoing concurrent chemoradiation therapy. Brain Behav Immun 24(6):968-74, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20353817.
- Wang XS, Cleeland CS, Mendoza TR, Yun YH, Wang Y, Okuyama T, Johnson VE. Impact of cultural and linguistic factors on symptom reporting by patients with cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 102(10):732-738, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20348233.
- Wang XS, Williams LA, Eng C, Mendoza TR, Shah NA, Kirkendoll KJ, Shah PK, Trask PC, Palos GR, Cleeland CS. Validation and application of a module of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory for measuring multiple symptoms in patients with gastrointestinal cancer (the MDASI-GI). Cancer 116(8):2053-63, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20166216.
- Wang XS, Shi Q, Lu C, Basch EM, Johnson VE, Mendoza TR, Mobley GM, Cleeland CS. Prognostic value of symptom burden for overall survival in patients receiving chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer 116(1):137-45, 2010. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19852033.
- Wang XS, Shi Q, Williams LA, Cleeland CS, Mobley GM, Reuben JM, Lee BN, Giralt SA. Serum IL-6 predicts the development of multiple symptoms at nadir of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Cancer 113(8):2102-9, 2008. PMID: 18792065.
- Wang XS, Fairclough DL, Liao Z, Komaki R, Chang JY, Mobley GM, Cleeland CS. Longitudinal study of the relationship between chemoradiation therapy for non-small-cell lung cancer and patient symptoms. J Clin Oncol 24(27):4485-91, 2006. PMID: 16983118.
- Wang XS, Wang Y, Guo H, Mendoza TR, Hao XS, Cleeland CS. Chinese version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory: validation and application of symptom measurement in cancer patients. Cancer 101(8):1890-901, 2004. PMID: 15386315.
- Wang XS, Giralt SA, Mendoza TR, Engstrom MC, Johnson BA, Peterson N, Broemeling LD, Cleeland CS. Clinical factors associated with cancer-related fatigue in patients being treated for leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. J Clin Oncol 20(5):1319-28, 2002. PMID: 11870175.
- Mendoza TR, Wang XS, Cleeland CS, Morrissey M, Johnson BA, Wendt JK, Huber SL. The rapid assessment of fatigue severity in cancer patients: use of the Brief Fatigue Inventory. Cancer 85(5):1186-96, 1999. PMID: 10091805.
- Wang XS, Mendoza TR, Gao SZ, Cleeland CS. The Chinese version of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI-C): its development and use in a study of cancer pain. Pain 67(2):407-16, 1996. PMID: 8951936.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 18, 2024