Chukwuemeka Ihemelandu, MD, FACS
Dr. Chukwuemeka Ihemelandu is a board-certified surgical oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. He specializes in treating abdominal cancers and the cytoreductive surgery and heated intraoperative chemotherapy procedure (CRS/HIPEC) that has proven so effective in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma.[1]
Education and Career
Dr. Ihemelandu earned his medical degree at the University of Nigeria Medical School, then completed his residency in general surgery at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C.
From there, he pursued a two-year fellowship in surgical oncology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He also completed a Dr. LaSalle D. Lefall, Jr./Susan G. Komen research fellowship in health disparities at the Howard University Cancer Center.
Dr. Ihemelandu has participated in numerous public service programs, including working as the medical missions coordinator for Doctors United for Medical Missions and for Surgical Eye Expeditions International.
Before coming to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, he served as an assistant instructor of general surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.[2]
Dr. Ihemelandu is currently a surgical oncologist specializing in abdominal cancers at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He is also a Professor of Surgical Oncology at Georgetown University Medical School.
Dr. Ihemelandu specializes in treating peritoneal carcinomatosis, gastric cancer, sarcoma, pancreatic cancer, and other cancers of the abdominal cavity. He is skilled in the use of cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the only cancer center in the city that offers surgery with HIPEC, and Dr. Ihemelandu is spearheading the use of additional innovations, including near-infrared fluorescence in surgical procedures, as well as the use of biomarkers to provide his patients with personalized cancer care. Dr. Chukwuemeka says that his greatest joy is being able to help his patients achieve “even the smallest of victories.”
Research
Dr. Ihemelandu is actively engaged in research on topics including cytoreductive surgery, survival outcomes, and optimal timing of systemic therapy.
He has published numerous articles on his work in peer-reviewed journals, including Annals of Surgical Oncology, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, and the Journal of Surgical Research.
Awards and Memberships
Dr. Ihemelandu has been recognized for his research, writing, and presentations, and recently received the Keystone Educator Award in recognition of his excellence in resident education.
He has also won the Society of Surgical Oncology Clinical Investigator Award for research on the gut microbiome and its effect on colon cancer metastases.
One of Dr. Ihemelandu’s most exciting areas of research is near-infrared fluorescent technology used to find microscopic cancer cells during surgery. This will help surgeons achieve complete tumor removal.
He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and has professional memberships with the Society of Surgical Oncology, the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Association for Cancer Research.[2]
