Cancer Surgeon Specialty
Esophagus & Stomach
Cancers of the Foregut (Esophagus, Stomach and the GastroEsophageal junction) are complex cancers requiring the input of multiple cancer specialists. Surgery, Chemotherapy, and Radiation are frequently used to optimize outcomes. Often, surgery is not the first modality employed.
Dr. Papenfuss has a special interest in cancers of the foregut and their treatment. All patients are presented in a multidisciplinary setting to tailor their treatment plan. When it's time, surgery is often completed utilizing minimally invasive approaches including use of the Davinci XI robot.
Pancreas & Liver
Malignant disease of the Pancreas, Liver, and Gallbladder requires dedicated teams and resources for optimal management. They require the expertise of multiple medical and surgical specialties including gastroenterologists, hepatologists, medical and radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists and dedicated hepatobiliary surgeons.
Dr. Papenfuss has a special interest in the management of benign and malignant diseases of the pancreas and liver. He works closely with other dedicated specialties in a high volume, quaternary referral center for complex hepatobiliary disease.
Sarcoma & Rare Tumors
Sarcomas are tumors of connective tissue including fat, muscle, bone, skin, blood vessels, and nerves. Due to their rarity, optimal treatment requires a group of dedicated sarcoma specialists including pathologists, medical and radiation oncologist, and surgical and orthopedic oncologists.
Dr. Papenfuss practices at a nationally recognized sarcoma center and participates in weekly multi-institutional multidisciplinary conferences to formulate treatment plans for these rare cancers.
HIPEC - Hyperthermic IntraPeritoneal Chemotherapy
Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a highly specialized treatment option for cancers that have spread to the peritoneal cavity, the area that surrounds the abdominal organs. HIPEC involves the delivery of heated chemotherapy drugs directly to the peritoneal cavity, maximizing the exposure of the cancer cells to the drugs while minimizing systemic side effects. The treatment is performed as a part of a surgery called cytoreductive surgery and is performed after the removal of as much visible cancer as possible. HIPEC has shown to improve survival and quality of life for patients with certain types of abdominal cancers, such as ovarian, colorectal, appendix, gastric cancer, and mesothelioma.
Dr. Papenfuss co-founded the HIPEC program at St. Luke's Medical Center in 2018. St. Luke's performs over 40 HIPEC procedures per year.