Leopoldo Fernandez, MD
Dr. Leopoldo Fernandez is a surgical oncologist at VCU Massey Cancer Center in Richmond, Virginia, specializing in gastrointestinal cancers and the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced abdominal cancers like malignant peritoneal mesothelioma that have spread through the peritoneal cavity.[3]
Dr. Fernandez also has extensive expertise in treating malignancies of the liver and pancreas and uses laparoscopic and robotic techniques to treat these challenging conditions.
Education and Career
Dr. Fernandez earned his medical degree at Universidad Central de Venezuela. He completed his internship and residency in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and then completed a fellowship in Surgery at VCU Medical Center. Certified by the American Board of Surgery in both General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology, he also completed special training in the management of peritoneal malignancies like malignant peritoneal mesothelioma at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital.[3]
Dr. Fernandez joined the VCU School of Medicine and VCU Massey Cancer Center as an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery’s Division of Surgical Oncology. His knowledge and experience in gastrointestinal cancers including liver and pancreas, laparoscopic surgery, and intraperitoneal chemotherapy helped to establish the use of HIPEC (hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) for the treatment of advanced abdominal cancers that have spread through the peritoneal cavity.[2]
Professional Memberships and Activities
Dr. Fernandez is a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He was a collaborator on the The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of Colorectal Metastases.[1]
Research
Dr. Fernandez is currently studying the outcomes of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced abdominal cancers. He has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and has presented at a variety of professional meetings, including the Academic Surgical Congress, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the American Association for Cancer Research.[3]
Some of his recent publications include:
- Race and Ethnicity Impacts Overall Survival of Patients with Appendiceal Cancer Who Undergo Cytoreductive Surgery with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy.
- Devon C Freudenberger, Vignesh Vudatha, Luke G Wolfe, Andrea N Riner, Kelly M Herremans, Brian K Sparkman, Leopoldo J Fernandez, Jose G Trevino> ;Cancers. 2023 Aug 6
- A Review of the Clinical Implications of Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and BMI in Patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Receiving Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. Devon C Freudenberger, Vignesh Vudatha, Andrea N Riner, Kelly M Herremans, Leopoldo J Fernandez, Jose G Trevino> ;Cancers. 2022 Jun 9
- Racial Disparities in Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: Does Aggressive Surgical Treatment Overcome Cancer Health Inequities? Devon C Freudenberger, Xiaoyan Deng, Vignesh Vudatha, Andrea N Riner, Kelly M Herremans, Dipankar Bandyopadhyay, Leopoldo J Fernandez, Jose G Trevino>;Frontiers in Oncology. 2022 Jan 1
