Catherine S. Diefenbach, MD

I am a hematologist–oncologist specializing in the care of patients with lymphoma. My goal is to provide the best possible care for these patients, and to discover new and scientifically grounded treatments that can improve management and increase the cure rate of lymphoma. 

As an oncologist, I am committed to combining compassionate and personalized patient care with cutting-edge, patient-focused, and translational research. I strive to develop treatment plans designed to fit each patient’s unique situation, as well as the biology of the tumor.

At NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, I am currently director of hematology translational research as well as director of the Clinical Lymphoma Program. Our team of experts from various specialties provides outstanding and compassionate clinical care to people with all types of lymphoma. We have the advantage of being at the forefront of advanced research, coupling personalized care with some of the most innovative and groundbreaking clinical trials in the nation. We provide people with access to many exciting new treatments before they are commercially available.

I am currently leading a national clinical trial for patients with relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma. I also serve as the principal investigator for numerous clinical trials at NYU Langone involving a range of different therapies, including targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy. Many of these clinical trials explore innovative methods of combining new targeted or immune-based therapies with existing therapies to find new ways to control lymphoma, while maximizing patients’ quality of life and minimizing side effects. I also collaborate with basic scientists to create the next generation of therapeutic approaches for the management of lymphoma.

I am on the lymphoma committee of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, a cooperative group made up of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and the American College of Radiology Imaging Network. I have also been invited to serve on multiple committees of both the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. I have received research grants for my work from the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the Lymphoma Research Foundation.