Page Updated September 27, 2024

John D. Abad, MD

Page Written by

Terri Heimann Oppenheimer

Page Edited by Patient Advocate

Dave Foster

Fact Checked

Dr. John D. Abad is a Surgical Oncologist who practices with the Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery and Surgical Oncology at Northwestern Medicine’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He cares for patients diagnosed with a variety of malignancies, including esophageal cancer, melanoma, pancreatic cancer, and peritoneal cancer.[1]

Dr. Abad is skilled in the use of a complex surgical procedure for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma and other advanced cancers that combines cytoreductive surgery with the administration of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy into the surgical site. This heated, highly concentrated solution of cancer-killing drugs remains in the abdominal cavity for approximately 90 minutes to maximize the opportunity to directly expose any cancer cells left behind to its impact.

Education and Career

Dr. Abad earned his medical degree at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He completed an internship and residency in General Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine and a fellowship in Surgical Oncology at the National Cancer Institute. He completed an additional residency in General Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine followed by a fellowship in Surgical Oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He is board-certified in Surgery by the American Board of Surgery and is a member of the American College of Surgeons.[1]

Research

Dr. Abad is actively involved in clinical trials at Northwestern Medicine. His research focus is on providing patients whose gastrointestinal cancers have advanced beyond the offerings of current standard lines of therapy a resource for innovative treatment options.

His recent publications include:[2]

• Comparison of perioperative and histopathologic outcomes among neoadjuvant treatment strategies for locoregional gastric cancer.

Janczewski LM, Logan CD, Vitello DJ, Buchheit JT, Abad JD, Bentrem DJ, Chawla A

J Surg Oncol. 2024 Mar; 129(3): 481-488.

PMID: 37986548

• Weight loss during neoadjuvant chemotherapy impacts perioperative outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer.

Doshi S, Abad J, Wells A, Chawla A

Pancreatology. 2023 Dec; 23(8): 1020-1027.

PMID: 37926598

• The differential effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiation on nodal downstaging in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Altimari M, Wells A, Abad J, Chawla A

Pancreatology. 2023 Nov; 23(7): 805-810.

PMID: 37599170

• The inaccuracies of gastric adenocarcinoma clinical staging and its predictive factors.

Janczewski LM, Shah D, Wells A, Bentrem DJ, Abad JD, Chawla A

J Surg Oncol. 2023 Jun; 127(7): 1116-1124.

PMID: 36905333

Terri Heimann Oppenheimer

Writer

Terri Oppenheimer has been writing about mesothelioma and asbestos topics for over ten years. She has a degree in English from the College of William and Mary. Terri’s experience as the head writer of our Mesothelioma.net news blog gives her a wealth of knowledge which she brings to all Mesothelioma.net articles she authors.

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Dave Foster

Page Editor

Dave has been a mesothelioma Patient Advocate for over 10 years. He consistently attends all major national and international mesothelioma meetings. In doing so, he is able to stay on top of the latest treatments, clinical trials, and research results. He also personally meets with mesothelioma patients and their families and connects them with the best medical specialists and legal representatives available.

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