Research Department

Medical Oncology/Solid Tumor Oncology

Interest

Gastrointestinal cancers

Area of Research

Biography

Dr. Meyerhardt received his MD from Yale School of Medicine in 1997. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center, in Boston, followed by a medical oncology fellowship at DFCI. He joined the Gastointestinal Cancer Center at DFCI in 2002 and became an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in 2004.

Recent Awards

• Tisch Outstanding Achievement Award, 2004
• Irving Jancock Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 2002

Research

We have a strong interest in the influence of diet and lifestyle on outcomes among patients with colorectal cancer. While much research has focused on the impact of host factors on the risk of developing colorectal cancer, little data are available to suggest how these factors impact on treatment-related toxicities or long-term outcomes among patients already diagnosed with the disease. Using databases from large oncology cooperative group trials, the Nurses Health Study, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, we have analyzed the influence of diet and lifestyle on outcomes in early-stage colorectal cancer patients. We have been involved in studies of physical activity, diet, smoking, obesity, weight change, COX inhibitors and vitamin D in colorectal cancer survivors. Based on these studies, I am the principal investigator of a national randomized trial (CALGB 80702) that will test celecoxib as adjunctive therapy to standard treatment for stage III colon cancer. The trial is under development with the National Cancer Institute.

I serve as a Project co-Leader for the Gastrointestinal Cancer SPORE of Dana-Farber / Harvard Cancer Center. We are studying molecular pathways associated with sensitivity and resistance to monoclonal antibodies against the epidermal growth factor receptor for colorectal cancer.

Finally, I am involved in mid-stage testing of novel agents for colorectal cancer. I have served as the principal investigator and co-investigator on multiple phase I / II trials

Select Publications

• Meyerhardt JA, Mayer RJ. Systemic therapy for colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med 2005;352:476-87.
  
  
• Meyerhardt JA, Catalano PJ, Haller DG, Mayer RJ, Macdonald JS, Benson AB, Fuchs CS. Impact of diabetes mellitus on outcomes in patients with colon cancer. J Clin Oncol 2003;21:433-40.
• Meyerhardt JA, Catalano PJ, Haller DG, Mayer RJ, Benson AB, Macdonald JS, Fuchs CS. Influence of body mass index on outcomes and treatment-related toxicity in patients with colon cancer. Cancer 2003;98:484-95.
• Meyerhardt JA, Catalano PJ, Schrag D, Ayanian JZ, Haller DG, Mayer RJ, MacDonald JS, Benson AB, Fuchs CS. Association of hospital procedure volume and outcomes in high-risk curatively resected colon cancer. Ann Int Med 2003;139:649-57.
• Meyerhardt JA, Tepper JE, Niedzwieck D, Hollis DR, Schrag D, Ayanian JZ, O'Connell MJ, Weeks JC, Mayer RJ, Willett CG, Macdonald JS, Benson AB, Fuchs CS. Impact of hospital procedure volume on surgical operation and long-term outcomes in high-risk curatively resected rectal cancer: findings from the Intergroup 0114 Study. J Clin Oncol 2004;22:166-74.
  
  
• Meyerhardt JA, Tepper JE, Niedzwieck D, Hollis DR, McCollum AD, Brady D, O'Connell MJ, Mayer, RJ, Cummings B, Willett C, Macdonald JS, Benson AB, Fuchs, CS. Impact of body mass index on outcomes and treatment-related toxicity in patients with stage II and III rectal cancer: findings from Intergroup Trial 0114. J Clin Oncol 2004;22:648-57.
• Meyerhardt JA, Sloan JA, Sargent DJ, Goldberg RM, Pollak M, Morton RF, Ramanathan RK, Williamson SK, Findlay BP, Fuchs CS. The associations between plasma insulin-like growth factor proteins and C-peptide and quality of life in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005;14:1402-10.
• Meyerhardt JA, Giovannucci E, Ogino S, Kirkner GJ, Chan AT, Willett W, Fuchs CS. Physical activity and survival in male colorectal cancer survivors. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169 (22): 2102-8
• Meyerhardt JA, Niedzwiecki D, Hollis D, Saltz LB, Hu FB, Mayer RJ, Nelson H, Whittom R, Hantel A, Thomas J, Fuchs CS. Association of dietary patterns with cancer recurrence and survival in patients with stage III colon cancer. JAMA. 2007;298(7):754-64.
• Jackson NA, Niedwiecki D, Hollis D, Saltz L, Mayer RJ, Schaefer P, Whittom R, Hantel A, Benson AB, Meyerhardt JA. The impact of smoking on cancer recurrence and survival in patients with stage III colon cancer: Findings from Intergroup trial CALGB 89803. Cancer. 2010, in press

Investigators

• Jackson-Mccleary, Nadine