Patricio Polanco, MD
Dr. Patricio Polanco is a gastrointestinal surgical oncologist at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. As Director of the Robotic Surgery Training Program there and leader of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancies and HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy Program) at Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, his skill is often applied to treating patients diagnosed with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.[1]
Dr. Polanco’s expertise is in minimally invasive/robotic surgery. His clinical interests include pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, complex gastrointestinal diseases and procedures, and peritoneal surface malignancies.
Dr. Polanco describes cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC as “a delicate, complex, and challenging surgery but safe and beneficial when it is performed by experienced and well-trained surgeons.”[1]
Education and Career
Dr. Polanco graduated as valedictorian of Universidad de San Martin de Porres Medical School in Peru. After he completed his surgical training in Lima, he moved on to complete a General Surgery internship and residency and a postdoctoral research fellowship in Complex Surgical Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh.[1]
Professional Memberships
Dr. Polanco has participated in expert panels regarding pancreatic cancer and malignant peritoneal mesothelioma for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines. He has also held leadership positions in several academic associations and on several committees, including:
- The Americans Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
- Society of Surgical Oncology
- American College of Surgeons
Research
Dr. Polanco’s research interests include health services research, disparities, and surgical outcomes in hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) malignancies and pancreatic cancer. He is also the site principal investigator for several clinical trials for pancreatic cancer. His research has been presented at national and international meetings. He has received several research awards and grants, including the Eugene P. Frenkel, M.D., Scholar Award in Clinical Medicine from the Simmons Cancer Center.[1]
He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious medical and surgical journals, including:[1]
- Cost Analysis and Financial Implications of a Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program in the USA. Abreu AA, Farah E, Nix R, Kethley D, Coble C, Wan Z, Alterio RE, Ngo F, Wadhwa A, Karagkounis G, Salgado Pogacnik J, Wang SC, Augustine M, Yopp AC, Zeh HJ, Polanco PM Annals of Surgical Oncology 2024 Jan 31 630-644
- Perioperative outcomes of robotic and laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis. Farah E, Abreu AA, Rail B, Salgado J, Karagkounis G, Zeh HJ, Polanco PM World Journal of Surgical Oncology 2023 Dec 21
- Adapting to a Robotic Era: The Transferability of Open and Laparoscopic Skills to Robotic Surgery. Farah E, Abreu AA, Rail B, Radi I, Sankaranarayanan G, Scott DJ, Zeh H, Polanco PM Journal of Surgical Education 2023 Dec 80 1868-1876
- Baseline performance in a robotic virtual reality platform predicts rate of skill acquisition in a proficiency-based curriculum: a cohort study of surgical trainees. Abreu AA, Rail B, Farah E, Alterio RE, Scott DJ, Sankaranarayanan G, Zeh HJ, Polanco PM Surgical endoscopy 2023 Nov 37 8804-8809
- A Combined DNA/RNA-based Next-Generation Sequencing Platform to Improve the Classification of Pancreatic Cysts and Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer Arising From Pancreatic Cysts. Nikiforova MN, Wald AI, Spagnolo DM, Melan MA, Grupillo M, Lai YT, Brand RE, O’Broin-Lennon AM, McGrath K, Park WG, Pfau PR, Polanco PM, Kubiliun N, Dewitt J, Easler JJ, Dam A, Mok SR, Wallace MB, Kumbhari V, Boone BA, Marsh W, Thakkar S, Fairley KJ, Afghani E, Bhat Y, Ramrakhiani S, Nasr J, Skef W, Thiruvengadam NR, Khalid A, Fasanella K, Chennat J, Das R, Singh H, Sarkaria S, Slivka A, Gabbert C, Sawas T, Tielleman T, Vanderveldt HD, Tavakkoli A, Smith LM, Smith K, Bell PD, Hruban RH, Paniccia A, Zureikat A, Lee KK, Ongchin M, Zeh H, Minter R, He J, Nikiforov YE, Singhi AD Annals of surgery 2023 Oct 278 E789-E797
- Implications of the interaction between travel burden and area deprivation for patients with pancreatic cancer. Murimwa GZ, Meier J, Nehrubabu M, Zeh HJ, Yopp AC, Polanco PM American journal of surgery 2023 Oct 226 515-522
- Factors associated with failure to operate and its impact on survival in early-stage pancreatic cancer. Murimwa GZ, Karalis JD, Meier J, Nehrubabu M, Thornton M, Porembka M, Wang S, Zeh HJ, Yopp AC, Polanco PM Journal of Surgical Oncology 2023 Sep 128 540-548
- Mesothelioma: Peritoneal, Version 2.2023. Ettinger DS, Wood DE, Stevenson J, Aisner DL, Akerley W, Bauman JR, Bharat A, Bruno DS, Chang JY, Chirieac LR, DeCamp M, Dilling TJ, Dowell J, Durm GA, Gettinger S, Grotz TE, Gubens MA, Hegde A, Lackner RP, Lanuti M, Lin J, Loo BW, Lovly CM, Maldonado F, Massarelli E, Morgensztern D, Mullikin TC, Ng T, Otterson GA, Patel SP, Patil T, Polanco PM, Riely GJ, Riess J, Shapiro TA, Singh AP, Tam A, Tanvetyanon T, Yanagawa J, Yang SC, Yau E, Gregory KM, Hughes M JNCCN Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2023 Sep 21 961-979
