Newswise — New Brunswick, N.J., June 18, 2018 – Several physicians from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey have been named as a ‘Top Doctor’ or ‘Top Doctor for Cancer Care’ by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., which publishes resource guides on top healthcare professionals across the nation. The listings appeared recently in several magazines along the East Coast. A physician-led research team assembled by Castle Connolly collected peer surveys that highlighted various career aspects. Training, board certification, clinical skills, years in practice, leadership posts and other criteria were analyzed.

“From radiation and surgical expertise to clinical trials, precision medicine and immunotherapy, the physician scientists that care for our patients are committed to advancing our understanding of cancer and translating that knowledge to cutting-edge treatments. As New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute, in partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, delivers comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care close to home. We are humbled that our peers across the country recognize our dedication,” said Rutgers Cancer Institute Director Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS, who is also senior vice president of oncology services for RWJBarnabas Health.

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey physicians on this year’s list are also faculty members at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a number of them also care for patients at various RWJBarnabas Health facilities across the state. Those named to the 2018 lists are:

  • Robert Aiken, MD, Director, Neuro-oncology Program; specialty: brain cancer, clinical trials, neurologic complications of cancer
  • Joseph Aisner, MD, Co-Director, Lung Cancer/Thoracic Oncology Program; specialty: lung cancer
  • H. Richard Alexander, Jr., MD, FACS, Chief Surgical Officer; specialty: gastrointestinal cancers, peritoneal mesothelioma, endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors
  • David A. August, MD, Section Chief, Gastrointestinal Surgical Oncology; specialty: gastrointestinal malignancies
  • Joel K. Braver, MD, radiation oncologist; specialty: prostate, breast and lung cancers
  • Richard Drachtman, MD, Section Chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; specialty: pediatric cancers and blood disorders
  • Ronald D. Ennis, MD, Medical Director, Clinical Network for Radiation Oncology; specialty: prostate cancer, gynecologic cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, brachytherapy
  • Andrew M. Evens, DO, MSc, FACP, Associate Director, Clinical Services and Director, Lymphoma Program (Rutgers Cancer Institute); Medical Director, Oncology Service Line (RWJBarnabas Health); specialty: Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, bone marrow transplantation
  • Bruce G. Haffty, MD, Chair, Radiation Oncology; specialty: breast cancer
  • Howard S. Hochster, MD, FACP, Associate Director, Clinical Research and Director, Gastrointestinal Oncology (Rutgers Cancer Institute); Director, Oncology Research (RWJBarnabas Health); specialty: clinical trials, gastrointestinal cancers
  • Michael G. McKenna, MD, radiation oncologist; specialty: prostate IMRT, breast cancer, and head and neck cancers
  • Lorna Rodriguez, MD, PhD, Chief, Gynecologic Oncology; specialty: gynecologic cancers, precision medicine
  • Biren Saraiya, MD, Medical Oncologist; specialty: urologic cancers, palliative care
  • Roger Strair, MD, PhD, Chief, Hematologic Malignancies and Blood and Marrow Transplantation; specialty: leukemia and lymphoma
  • Deborah L. Toppmeyer, MD, Chief Medical Officer, and Director Stacy Goldstein Breast Cancer Center and the LIFE Center; specialty: breast cancer
  • Robert E. Weiss, MD, Urologic Oncologist; specialty: urologic cancers 

A full listing can be found at: http://www.castleconnolly.com/doctors/index.cfm?source=ijtdfc. Full profiles of Cancer Institute doctors named to the list can also be found at http://www.cinj.org/physician/index.php.

About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Rutgers Cancer Institute, along with its partner RWJBarnabas Health, offers the most advanced cancer treatment options including clinical trials and novel therapeutics such as precision medicine and immunotherapy – many of which are not available at other facilities across the state.  Patients have access to these cutting-edge therapies throughout the state at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey at University Hospital in Newark, as well as at RWJBarnabas Health. 

Along with world-class treatment, which is often fueled by on-site research conducted in Rutgers Cancer Institute laboratories, patients and their families also can seek cancer preventative services and education resources throughout the Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health footprint statewide. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 848-932-8013 or visit www.cinj.org/giving. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.

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