Mazin F. Al-kasspooles, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Dr. Mazin F. Al-kasspooles is a surgical oncologist in the Department of Surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center, as well as at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. He is also a Professor of Surgery at the Kansas University Medical Center in the Oncologic Surgery Division. His clinical interest is principally focused on esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers, but he is also skilled in surgery for peritoneal surface malignancies, breast cancer, melanoma, and soft tissue sarcomas.[1] Dr. Al-kasspooles is one of only a few surgeons able to administer the complex treatment known as CRS-HIPEC, or cytoreductive surgery with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy, which has provided improved outcomes for patients diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.
Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma and CRS-HIPEC
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is an extremely rare form of cancer that forms in the abdominal cavity after asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is always considered a fatal disease, and patients diagnosed with its peritoneal form have few options available to them, but one that has effectively delivered improved outcomes is the complex procedure known as CRS with HIPEC, or cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
CRS with HIPEC begins with open surgery to remove as much tumor material as possible from the patient’s abdominal cavity. Following the removal of malignant material, the surgical site is bathed with a solution of heated chemotherapy to kill any microscopic mesothelioma cells left behind without the need for systemic treatment.
Education and Career
Dr. Mazin Al-kasspooles earned a bachelor of science in pre-medicine as well as a medical degree with a focus in General Surgery from the University of Michigan and the University of Michigan Medical Center. He completed his internship and residency in General Surgery at the Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, and a clinical Fellowship in Surgical Oncology at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute of the State University of New York in Buffalo, New York. He became a member of the Kansas University Medical Center faculty in 2005.[1]
Research
Dr. Al-kasspooles is actively involved in connecting his patients with clinical trials and in cancer research, including studies of the genetics behind cancer development, the impact of socioeconomic factors on outcomes and access to CRS with HIPEC, and assessments of multidisciplinary protocols on outcomes involving cancer surgery.[1]
