Division of Gynecologic Oncology
Gary L. Goldberg, MD
The Linda and Earle Altman Faculty Scholar for Research in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health
Program Director
718.904.2893
Overview of the Division
The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center ranks among the best in the country in the quality of its clinical, research and educational programs.
The Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology is Dr. Gary L. Goldberg. The Division has 5 full-time and one part-time clinical Gynecologic Oncologists. In addition to these highly trained physicians, there are three clinical nurse oncologists who assist in monitoring of patients receiving chemotherapy, and a data manager. We have a highly competitive, board approved Fellowship training program in Gynecologic Oncology, which is one of only approximately 37 in the United States. The Division of Gynecologic Oncology is comprised of a team of health care providers who have received extensive, specialized training in the management of reproductive cancers. In order to deliver comprehensive treatment plans individualized to the special needs of women with these cancers, available services include the entire spectrum of first class gynecologic oncological care, including consultations, follow-up care, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Treatment emphasis is on a custom-tailored approach to the needs of the individual. Participation in NCI, GOG, ECOG, NYGOG, and other sponsored research protocols provides access to current and innovative therapies for patients with ovarian, endometrial, cervical, vulvar, vaginal, and fallopian tube cancer, as well as gestational trophoblastic disease.
The Division of Gynecologic Oncology is an active member of the NCI supported Albert Einstein College of Medicine Cancer Center. The Cancer Center is one of the largest medical school-affiliated cancer research centers in the East, and is directed by a group of cancer researchers of national and international distinction. The outpatient office is designed to facilitate a smooth flow of patients, and minor surgeries and procedures can be performed onsite using our state-of-the-art-equipment. This includes lasers, loop electrosurgical units, ultrasound machines, and a bone densitometer. Patients have their choice of being seen at three locations in the Bronx.
We provide comprehensive surgical expertise for our patients including complex radical and reconstructive cancer surgery. Dr. Gary L Goldberg is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in this field. We provide cutting edge laparoscopic, hysteroscopic, and other Minimally Invasive surgical and Robotic surgery techniques under the direction of Dr. Dennis Yi-Shin Kuo. Because of their specialized skills in pelvic surgery, in addition to treating malignancies, our physicians also treat women with complex gynecologic surgical problems.
As more and more information comes to light demonstrating the role of genetics in identifying patients at risk for breast, ovarian, endometrial, and colon cancer, we have a comprehensive screening program for counseling and treating women with personal or family histories of gynecologic cancer. This program includes consultation and counseling by a genetic counselor and gynecologic oncologist testing for eligible patients.
The Division remains a recognized leader in the evaluation of patients with abnormal Pap smears, preinvasive cervical disease, and cervical cancer. Innovative treatment modalities and strategies are offered, as well as enrollment in studies that are evaluating the epidemiological, viral, nutritional, and immunologic changes that occur in women with cervical neoplasia. All therapeutic options are available including laser, loop electrosurgical procedures (LEEP, LLETZ) and cryosurgery on an outpatient basis. We have intitiated an HPV vaccine education and vaccination program under the direction of Dr. Mark H. Einstein.
The Division has demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, and clinical practice. The faculty is responsible for educating medical students, residents and postgraduate fellows. Varied in their research interest, the faculty is very active in clinical and translational laboratory research. The entire spectrum of Gynecologic Oncology is represented in these research efforts.
The Translational Research Environment
Effective implementation of clinical and translational research requires a multidisciplinary approach, which includes clinical, basic science, and epidemiology expertise. At The Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, such expertise exists for our Women’s Cancer focuses. Divisional members have active, multifaceted clinical and translational research programs in all of these cancers. Dr. Mark Einstein, a leader in multiple national clinical trial consortia, oversees the Clinical Research Trials for Gynecologic Oncology. For a list of our open clinical trials in Women’s Cancers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, please see the Einstein Cancer Center Clinical Trials.
Cervical cancer: The Division has been focused on the treatment and prevention of cervical cancer for over two decades. Members of the Division, including Dr. Mark Einstein, Dr. Gary Goldberg, and Dr. Robert Burk, have been actively involved in translational studies targeting the cause of cervical cancer, Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Part of the research focus also involves prevention and prediction of outcomes using biomarker profiles. Division faculty and fellows are actively involved in numerous clinical trials in cervical cancer therapy and prevention.
Ovarian cancer: The Division has multiple clinical and translational research studies in ovarian cancer and overcoming chemotherapy resistance. Members of the Division, including Dr. Gloria Huang, Dr. Gary Goldberg, along with internationally-recognized scientists at Einstein, including Dr. Susan Horwitz, have been investigating mechanisms for overcoming chemotherapy resistance and investigating new drugs against ovarian cancer in early development.
Uterine cancer: There has been a rapid recent rise in uterine cancers in the US, in part due to the obesity epidemic. Members of the Division, including Drs. Smith, Kuo, Huang, Einstein, and Goldberg, have been working with teams of investigators at Einstein to better elucidate molecular and hormonal pathways that lead to uterine cancer. All Divisional members are actively involved in clinical trials in women with high-risk and other uterine cancers.
Other related cancer research: The Division collaborates with other clinical and basic science departments in basic, translational and clinical research activities including but not limited to: palliative care, epidemiology, infectious disease and immunology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, experimental therapeutics and Phase I clinical trials.
Mark H. Einstein, MD, MS
Dr. Einstein is a board certified Gynecologic Oncologist whose primary research interests focus on the pathogenesis, therapy, and prevention of cervical cancer. His translational work in cervical cancer is multi-faceted; investigating the host and virally-induced epigenetic, genetic and immune profiles along the malignant transformation path to provide insight into the process of cervical carcinogenesis. Dr. Einstein has developed and has been leading numerous multi-institutional clinical trials in targeting HPV and cervical cancer as well as cervical cancer prevention. He is active in clinical trial cooperative groups as Co-Chair of the Gynecologic Oncology Group Vaccine Committee and sits on the GOG Cervix Committee. He is on the HPV working group of the NCI Aids Malignancy Consortium. He is also an active member and a program leader of the Gynecology Division of the New York Cancer Consortium- a P01 Phase II clinical trial consortium and is the PI of many of its gynecologic cancer therapeutics trials accruing patients throughout New York hospitals. He is active in policy-making regarding cervical cancer prevention participating in the development of the American Cancer Society recommendations for HPV vaccines and is on the working group for the 2011 cervical cancer screening update. He also was part of the working group for the Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s (SGO) HPV vaccine recommendations as well. He also is Chair of the Gynecologic Oncology Foundation’s (GCF) National Cervical Cancer Public Education Campaign and sits on their Board of Directors. He is also a Board member of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. Dr. Einstein is also a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), developing their modules on the immunologic basis of HPV vaccines. He has received funding for cervical cancer-related translational research by the NIH, GCF, ACOG and the Berlex Foundation. He has been funded by and named an American Cancer Society Research Scholar. Dr. Einstein is a Fellow of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Gloria S. Huang, MD
Dr. Huang is working in the laboratory of Susan Band Horwitz, PhD and is investigating IGF2 autocrine expression in ovarian cancer cells. This expression of IGF 2 results in an aggressive, chemo-resistant phenotype, mediated by IGF2 binding to the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R). The latter leads to activation of downstream pathways including PI3K/AKT (3). The role of insulin-like growth factor signaling, and its potential for modulation to alter and enhance cellular responses to cytotoxic and targeted agents will be evaluated. In order to determine the direct effects of autocrine IGF2 expression, she will develop cell lines and mouse models of ovarian cancer that conditionally overexpress or suppress IGF2. These transfected cell lines will be grown in tissue culture and used to produce xenograft models of ovarian cancer. They will use these models to determine the direct consequences of IGF2 autocrine expression, with regard to proliferation, invasion, and chemo-sensitivity. These unique models of ovarian cancer will be utilized to assess the efficacy of small molecules and antibodies that target IGF2 and the IGF1R, alone and in combination with cytotoxic and targeted therapeutic agents. In addition, IGF2 expression and signaling in chemo-sensitive and chemo-resistant patient-derived primary ovarian cell lines and ovarian tumor heterotransplants will be profiled, and the ability of IGF2 modulation to restore chemosensitivity will be evaluated.
Robert D. Burk, MD, PhD
Dr. Burk has a joint appointment in our Department, and heads a laboratory investigating the role of HPV infection and mechanisms of viral gene expression in preinvasive and invasive cervical carcinoma. When Dr. Mark Einstein (current faculty member) was a third year fellow, he conducted research on the serologic response to cervicovaginal HPV infection, the "Human Papillomavirus-Like Particle Serologic Assey to Identify At-Risk Women" and the "Identification of Genetic Susceptibility Loci in Women with Cervical Cancer" under the direction of Dr. Burk.
Gynecologic Oncology Division Faculty
Gary L. Goldberg, MD - Director
Mark Einstein, MD, MS
June Hou, MD
Gloria Huang, MD
Merieme Klobocista, MD
Dennis Yi-Shin Kuo, MD
Nicole Nevadunsky, MD
Rebecca Phaeton, MD
Harriet O. Smith, MD
David Smotkin, MD, PhD
Patrick Anderson, MD (part time)
Current Fellows, Division of Gynecologic Oncology
Elizabeth Burton, MD 2009-2012
Sara Isani, MD 2010-2013
Marina Frimer, MD 2011-2014
Tyler Ford, MD 2011-2014
For additional information about the Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology, click here.