Nabil Wasif, MD
Dr. Nabil Wasif is a surgical oncologist, professor of surgery, and the Chair of the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. His clinical focus is on cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma and other abdominal cancers.[1]
Education and Career
Dr. Wasif attended the University of London as an undergraduate and then earned his medical degree at the Aga Khan University Medical College.
He completed research fellowships at Weill Cornell Medical College in the Laboratory for Gene Therapy Research and the Laboratory for Wound Healing and Tissue Culture. He then completed a General Surgery Residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Dr. Wasif completed a research fellowship at the UCLA Center for Surgical Outcomes at the University of California and a clinical fellowship in Surgical Oncology at the John Wayne Cancer Institute of Saint John’s Health Center. He also earned his Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health.[1]
Dr. Wasif is currently a surgical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic and sees patients in Phoenix. He is the Associate Chair for Education and the Chair of the Division of Surgical Oncology and Endocrine Surgery.
In addition to his surgical role at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. Wasif is the Program Director for the facility’s General Surgery Residency Program.
Dr. Wasif established the HIPEC program at Mayo Clinic Arizona. He specializes in using this and other procedures to treat advanced and complex abdominal cancers, like peritoneal mesothelioma.
He is also skilled in treating pancreatic cancer with the robotic Whipple procedure. He also treats melanoma and sarcoma.
Professional Memberships and Activities
Dr. Wasif is active in numerous societies and associations:[2]
- Executive Committee, Priestly Society
- Scientific Program Committee, Society of Surgical Oncology
- Cancer Liaison Physician, Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons
- Member, Surgical Quality Subcommittee of the Surgical and Procedural Committee for the Mayo Clinic
- Member, Scientific Review Committee and the Protocols Review Committee for the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Arizona
- Member, Western Surgical Society
- Member, Southwestern Surgical Congress
Research
Dr. Wasif’s research focuses on malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, breast, and melanoma.
He also investigates the use of large cancer databases to evaluate the quality of care, disparities in care, and patient outcomes.
Among the specific areas that he has studied are:[2]
- Overuse of diagnostic imaging for melanoma and associated cost implications
- Decision analysis modeling to guide clinical decisions regarding the management of pancreatic neoplasms
- Outcomes following treatment of small bowel carcinoid tumors
His recent publications include:
Distinguishing Clinical from Statistical Significances in Contemporary Comparative Effectiveness Research. Gikandi, A., Hallet, J., Koerkamp, B., Safran, D., Besselink, M., Chang, D., Traeger, L., Weissman, J., Clark, C., Lillemoe, K., Narayan, R., Mamon, H., Zenati, M., Wa…> ;Annals of Surgery. 2024 Feb 23
Bariatric Surgery and Longitudinal Cancer Risk: A Review. Madura, J., Lim, P., Stucky, C., Wasif, N., Etzioni, D., Harold, K., Ven Fong, Z.>; JAMA Surgery. 2024 Jan 31
Accuracy of DOTATATE PET imaging in the preoperative planning of small bowel neuroendocrine tumor resection. Chi Zhang, Hallbera Gudmundsdottir, Hiroaki Takahashi, Courtney Day, Amy Glasgow, Nabil Wasif, Patrick Starlinger, Susanne Warner, Travis Grotz, Rory Smoot, Mark Truty…>; Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2023 Dec 1
