Kristen Spencer, D.O.

I lost my mother to metastatic colorectal cancer when I was eight years old—conquering cancer has been my life’s mission.

I am the director of the Phase 1 Program at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center. We assess the effectiveness of immunotherapies, targeted therapies, and other cancer treatments when they are in the earliest stage of their clinical trials. My mission is to ensure access to innovative cancer treatments for all patients, so researchers can continue to move the needle in cancer care. Access to new therapies was a cornerstone of my mother’s treatment, and early phase research has the potential to find answers where there may not have been any before.

My own research focus is on the treatment of tumors of the pancreas and hepatobiliary system, which includes the liver, bile ducts, and gallbladder. I am the author or co-author of several publications, reviews, book chapters, and abstracts reporting on these cancers. I have also published on my clinical experience with immunotherapy. I have specialty research training through the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program Advanced Drug Development Fellowship and the American Association for Cancer Research and American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop.

My research and training inform my clinical care. As a member of the Gastrointestinal Disease Management Group at Perlmutter Cancer Center, I primarily see patients who have pancreatic and hepatobiliary tumors. I also manage esophageal, small intestine, colorectal, and other cancers of the digestive tract. I consider my patients to be partners in the decision-making process, and I respect their choices. I work closely with a team of surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, genetic specialists, and other health providers to help patients understand their condition. In addition, I take a holistic approach to care, placing an emphasis on quality of life and complementary therapies.

On a national level, I am chair of the Genomics Subcommittee of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group. I am also chair of the ECOG-ACRIN hepatopancreatobiliary working group and a member of the organization’s Task Force on Advancement for Women. Additionally, I am on the National Cancer Institute Gastrointestinal Steering Committee’s Hepatobiliary Task Force.