Alexander Drilon, MD - MSK Thoracic Medical Oncologist & Early Drug Development Specialist

I am a board-certified oncologist and hematologist, and work as part of a multidisciplinary team caring for patients with hematologic disorders. I have a special interest and expertise in treating patients with disorders that arise in white blood cells called plasma cells, including multiple myeloma and light chain (AL) amyloidosis.

I am a radiation oncologist with more than 18 years of experience. I specialize in treating gastrointestinal malignancies. These include rectal cancer, liver cancer, gallbladder and bile duct cancers, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancers, and anal cancer. I see patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Manhattan location.

As an interventional radiologist, I use image guidance (x-rays, ultrasound, CT, PET, or MRI) to perform minimally invasive procedures. The images are used to direct tiny catheters, wires, and needles in order to diagnose and treat tumors. Using image guidance allows us to perform a wide variety of procedures without making large incisions, leading to shorter recovery times and fewer complications. We can also treat tumors by burning or freezing them (ablation) or clogging the arteries that supply them with different materials (embolization). Other procedures we perform include biopsies, opening an obstructed channel (for example, a vessel, a bile duct, or a ureter), or stopping a bleeding vessel.