Joseph Skitzki, MD, FACS
Dr. Joseph Skitzki is a surgical oncologist who specializes in regional therapies for cancer at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Among his many responsibilities, he consults about and conducts cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy as treatment for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Dr. Skitzki is also clinically active in the areas of melanoma and sarcoma.[1]
Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, or CRS-HIPEC, is an advanced combination surgical and chemotherapy procedure that can significantly extend survival and improve the quality of life for patients diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. It involves surgical removal of all visible tumor nodules in the abdominal cavity followed by bathing the surgical site with a heated solution of chemotherapy. The complex procedure has been offered at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center since 2002: It is the only center in Western New York where it is available.[2]
Not every patient with peritoneal mesothelioma is eligible for this procedure. Dr. Skitzki spends a great deal of time with patients assessing their physical health to ensure that they can tolerate the surgery and the associated recovery.
Education and Career
Dr. Skitzki earned his medical degree at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He then moved on to complete an internship and residency in General Surgery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, including a two-year research fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.[1]
Today, Dr. Skitzi holds several titles at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute. He is an Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology and an Associate Member of the Immunology Department. He is also an Associate Professor of Surgery at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Dr. Skitzki is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is also a member of several professional medical organizations, including:[1]
- Society of Surgical Oncology
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- American Association for Cancer Research
- American Society of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies
- Association for Academic Surgery
- Society of Thermal Medicine
Research
Dr. Skitzki runs an independent laboratory that is focused on immunotherapeutic treatment and animal modeling of regional therapies with the goal of clinical translation.
