BruceJAverbookMDFACS

General Surgery • Cleveland, OH

Breast, Melanoma, Surgical Oncology (Other than Breast)

Professor Emeritus of Surgery, General Medical Sciences (Oncology), and Dermatology, Case Western Reserve University

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Office
2500 Metrohealth Dr
MetroHealth Medical Center, Cancer Care Pavilion, Division of Surgical Oncology
Cleveland, OH 44109
Phone+1 216-778-4795
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Education & Training

National Cancer InstituteResidency, Surgery, 1990 - 1993
University of California (Irvine)Residency, Surgery, 1983 - 1990
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health SciencesClass of 1983

Certifications & Licensure

OH State Medical License 1993 - 2025
CA State Medical License 1984 - 2024

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

America's Top Doctors Castle Connolly, 2009-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2021
America's Top Doctors for Cancer Castle Connolly, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2012-2013, 2013-2021
CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 Certification EpicCare Ambulatory EMR, Epic Systems Corporation, 2012-2013
Fellow (FACS) American College of Surgeons
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Clinical Trials

PEG-Interferon Alfa-2b in Treating Patients With Stage IV Melanoma Start of enrollment: 2004 Jan 13
Completed
Phase 2
Pentostatin, Cyclophosphamide, and Rituximab Followed By Campath-1H in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell CLL Start of enrollment: 2005 Apr 14
Completed
Phase 2
Zoledronate in Preventing Skeletal (Bone)-Related Events in Men Who Are Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy For Prostate Cancer and Bone Metastases Start of enrollment: 2004 Jan 01
Completed
Phase 3
Paclitaxel and Radiation Therapy With or Without Trastuzumab in Treating Patients Who Have Undergone Surgery for Bladder Cancer Start of enrollment: 2005 Jul 26
Completed
Phase 1, Phase 2
Cetuximab and/or Bevacizumab Combined With Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Start of enrollment: 2005 Nov 01
Completed
Phase 3
Androgen Ablation Therapy With or Without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Prostate Cancer Start of enrollment: 2006 Sep 26
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Azacitidine With or Without Entinostat in Treating Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia, or Acute Myeloid Leukemia Start of enrollment: 2006 Aug 01
Completed
Phase 2
Cetuximab, Cisplatin, Fluorouracil, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Anal Cancer Start of enrollment: 2007 Feb 28
Completed
Phase 2
Chemotherapy With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Stage IB, Stage II, or Stage IIIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer That Was Removed By Surgery Start of enrollment: 2007 Jun 01
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Combination Chemotherapy and Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Metastatic Esophageal Cancer or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer Start of enrollment: 2006 Sep 15
Completed
Phase 2
Octreotide Acetate and Recombinant Interferon Alfa-2b or Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Metastatic or Locally Advanced, High-Risk Neuroendocrine Tumor Start of enrollment: 2007 Dec 01
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Chemotherapy With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Start of enrollment: 2008 Aug 08
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Tamoxifen Citrate or Letrozole With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Women With Stage IIIB or Stage IV Breast Cancer Start of enrollment: 2008 May 15
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Fludarabine and Rituximab With or Without Lenalidomide or Cyclophosphamide in Treating Patients With Symptomatic Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Start of enrollment: 2008 Jan 15
Completed
Phase 2
Melphalan, Prednisone, and Thalidomide or Lenalidomide in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Start of enrollment: 2008 Feb 29
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone With or Without Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Previously Untreated Multiple Myeloma Start of enrollment: 2008 Apr 01
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Paclitaxel, Cisplatin, and Radiation Therapy With or Without Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer Start of enrollment: 2008 Jun 01
Completed
Phase 3
Sunitinib Malate as Maintenance Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Previously Treated With Combination Chemotherapy Start of enrollment: 2008 Jun 15
Completed
Phase 3
Dasatinib in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Mucosal Melanoma, Acral Melanoma, or Vulvovaginal Melanoma That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery Start of enrollment: 2009 Jul 02
Completed
Phase 2
Radiation Therapy With or Without Trastuzumab in Treating Women With Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Who Have Undergone Lumpectomy Start of enrollment: 2008 Nov 10
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Paclitaxel, Nab-paclitaxel, or Ixabepilone With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Stage IIIC or Stage IV Breast Cancer Start of enrollment: 2008 Oct 13
Completed
Phase 3
Lenalidomide With or Without Epoetin Alfa in Treating Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Anemia Start of enrollment: 2009 Jan 29
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Collecting Tissue Samples From Patients With Leukemia or Other Blood Disorders Planning to Enroll in an ECOG Leukemia Treatment Clinical Trial Start of enrollment: 2004 Sep 21
Completed
Gemcitabine Hydrochloride and Cisplatin With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Advanced Urinary Tract Cancer Start of enrollment: 2009 Jul 15
Completed
Phase 3
S0819: Carboplatin and Paclitaxel With or Without Bevacizumab and/or Cetuximab in Treating Patients With Stage IV or Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Start of enrollment: 2009 Jul 15
Terminated
Phase 3
Radiation Therapy With or Without Cetuximab in Treating Patients Who Have Undergone Surgery for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Start of enrollment: 2009 Nov 01
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Chemoembolization With or Without Sorafenib Tosylate in Treating Patients With Liver Cancer That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery Start of enrollment: 2009 Oct 28
Completed
Phase 3
Gemcitabine Hydrochloride With or Without Erlotinib Hydrochloride Followed by the Same Chemotherapy Regimen With or Without Radiation Therapy and Capecitabine or Fluorouracil in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer That Has Been Removed by Surgery Start of enrollment: 2010 Apr 05
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Sorafenib Tosylate With or Without Doxorubicin Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Liver Cancer Start of enrollment: 2010 Feb 15
Completed
Phase 3
Phase III Randomized Trial of Clofarabine as Induction and Post-Remission Therapy vs. Standard Daunorubicin & Cytarabine Induction and Intermediate Dose Cytarabine Post-Remission Therapy, Followed by Decitabine Maintenance vs. Observation in Newly-Diagnos Start of enrollment: 2011 Jan 01
Melphalan and Dexamethasone With or Without Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Previously Untreated Systemic Light-Chain Amyloidosis Start of enrollment: 2010 Nov 01
Completed
Phase 3
Irinotecan Hydrochloride and Cetuximab With or Without Ramucirumab in Treating Patients With Advanced Colorectal Cancer With Progressive Disease After Treatment With Bevacizumab-Containing Chemotherapy Start of enrollment: 2011 Jan 18
Completed
Phase 2
Calcium Gluconate and Magnesium Sulfate in Preventing Neurotoxicity in Patients With Colon Cancer or Rectal Cancer Receiving Oxaliplatin-Based Combination Chemotherapy Start of enrollment: 2010 Jun 01
Completed
Phase 3
A Phase III Randomized Trial of Metformin vs Placebo in Early Stage Breast Cancer Start of enrollment: 2010 Aug 13
Completed
Phase 3
Bevacizumab or Pemetrexed Disodium Alone or In Combination After Induction Therapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Start of enrollment: 2010 Oct 25
Completed
Phase 3
Oxaliplatin, Leucovorin Calcium, and Fluorouracil With or Without Celecoxib in Treating Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer Previously Treated With Surgery Start of enrollment: 2010 Jun 01
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Lenalidomide or Observation in Treating Patients With Asymptomatic High-Risk Smoldering Multiple Myeloma Start of enrollment: 2011 Jan 24
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Radiation Therapy, Paclitaxel, and Carboplatin With or Without Trastuzumab in Treating Patients With Esophageal Cancer Start of enrollment: 2011 Feb 14
Completed
Phase 3
Bendamustine Hydrochloride and Rituximab With or Without Bortezomib Followed by Rituximab With or Without Lenalidomide in Treating Patients With High-Risk Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Follicular Lymphoma Start of enrollment: 2011 Feb 09
Completed
Phase 2
Tamoxifen Citrate, Letrozole, Anastrozole, or Exemestane With or Without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Invasive RxPONDER Breast Cancer Start of enrollment: 2011 Jan 15
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Ipilimumab or High-Dose Interferon Alfa-2b in Treating Patients With High-Risk Stage III-IV Melanoma That Has Been Removed by Surgery Start of enrollment: 2011 May 25
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Chemotherapy With or Without Trastuzumab After Surgery in Treating Women With Invasive Breast Cancer Start of enrollment: 2011 Jan 06
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Combination Chemotherapy Plus Bevacizumab With or Without Oxaliplatin in Treating Older Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Start of enrollment: 2011 Jan 01
Terminated
Phase 3
S1201: Combination Chemo for Patients W/Advanced or Metastatic Esophageal, Gastric, or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer Start of enrollment: 2012 Feb 01
Completed
Phase 2
Minimally Invasive Groin Dissection for Melanoma Start of enrollment: 2012 Jun 01
Completed
Not Applicable
PROSPECT: Chemotherapy Alone or Chemotherapy Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Undergoing Surgery Start of enrollment: 2012 Jun 12
Active, not recruiting
Phase 2, Phase 3
A Phase II/III Trial of Nivolumab, Ipilimumab, and GM-CSF in Patients With Advanced Melanoma Start of enrollment: 2015 Nov 23
Recruiting
Phase 2, Phase 3
High-Dose Recombinant Interferon Alfa-2B, Ipilimumab, or Pembrolizumab in Treating Patients With Stage III-IV High Risk Melanoma That Has Been Removed by Surgery Start of enrollment: 2015 Nov 10
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Lung-MAP: Taselisib as Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV Squamous Cell Lung Cancer and Positive Biomarker Matches Start of enrollment: 2014 Nov 01
Completed
Phase 2
Lung-MAP: Palbociclib as Second-Line Therapy in Treating Cell Cycle Gene Alteration Positive Patients With Recurrent Stage IV Squamous Cell Lung Cancer Start of enrollment: 2014 Sep 01
Completed
Phase 2, Phase 3
Lung-MAP: Nivolumab With or Without Ipilimumab as Second-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Recurrent Stage IV Squamous Cell Lung Cancer and No Matching Biomarkers Start of enrollment: 2015 Dec 29
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Gemcitabine Hydrochloride and Cisplatin With or Without Nab-Paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Advanced Biliary Tract Cancers Start of enrollment: 2019 Feb 07
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Testing the Addition of a New Immunotherapy Drug, Atezolizumab (MPDL3280A), to the Usual Chemoradiation (CRT) Therapy Treatment for Limited Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (LS-SCLC) Start of enrollment: 2019 Jul 26
Active, not recruiting
Phase 3
Testing the Use of Steroids and Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors With Blinatumomab or Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed BCR-ABL-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adults Start of enrollment: 2021 Jan 25
Recruiting
Phase 3
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Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Staging breast cancer by sentinel lymph node biopsy: Do patients with a single negative sentinel node (N=1) experience worse outcomes than those with multiple negative...
Avia Wilkerson, Bruce J. Averbook, Natalie Joseph, Susan M. Sharpe, Benjamin Li> ;Surgical Oncology. 2018 Sep 1
79 citations
Skin cancer screening: recommendations for data-driven screening guidelines and a review of the US Preventive Services Task Force controversy.
Mariah M. Johnson, Sancy A. Leachman, Lisa G. Aspinwall, Lee D. Cranmer, Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, Vernon K. Sondak, Clara E. Stemwedel, Susan M. Swetter, John T. Vet...> ;Melanoma Management. 2017 Mar 1
7 citations
Safety and Feasibility of Minimally Invasive Inguinal Lymph Node Dissection in Patients With Melanoma (SAFE-MILND): Report of a Prospective Multi-institutional Trial.
James W Jakub, Alicia M Terando, Amod Sarnaik, Charlotte E Ariyan, Mark B Faries, Sabino Zani Jr, Heather B Neuman, Nabil Wasif, Jeffrey M Farma, Bruce J Averbook, Kar...> ;Annals of Surgery. 2017 Jan 1
12 citations
Laparoscopic skill assessment of practicing surgeons prior to enrollment in a surgical trial of a new laparoscopic procedure
Benjamin Zendejas, James W. Jakub, Alicia M. Terando, Amod A. Sarnaik, Charlotte E. Ariyan, Mark B. Faries, Sabino Zani, Heather B. Neuman, Nabil Wasif, Jeffrey M. Far...> ;Surgical Endoscopy. 2017 Aug 1
15 citations
Training High-Volume Melanoma Surgeons to Perform a Novel Minimally Invasive Inguinal Lymphadenectomy: Report of a Prospective Multi-Institutional Trial
James W. Jakub, Alicia M. Terando, Amod A. Sarnaik, Charlotte E. Ariyan, Mark B. Faries, Sabino Zani, Heather B. Neuman, Nabil Wasif, Jeffrey M. Farma, Bruce J. Averbo...> ;Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2016 Mar 1
53 citations
Pediatric melanoma: Analysis of an international registry
Bruce J. Averbook, Sandra J. Lee, Keith A. Delman, Kenneth W. Gow, Jonathan S. Zager, Vernon K. Sondak, Jane L. Messina, Michael S. Sabel, Mark R. Pittelkow, Phillip M...> ;Cancer. 2013 Nov 15
93 citations
Combined Analysis of Phase III Trials Evaluating [99mTc]Tilmanocept and Vital Blue Dye for Identification of Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Clinically Node-Negative Cutaneous...
Vernon K. Sondak, Dennis King, Jonathan S. Zager, Schlomo Schneebaum, Julian A. Kim, Stanley P. L. Leong, Mark B. Faries, Bruce J. Averbook, Steve R. Martinez, Christo...> ;Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2013 Feb 1
69 citations
Factors Predictive of the Status of Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Melanoma Patients from a Large Multicenter Database
Richard L. White, Gregory D. Ayers, Virginia H. Stell, Shouluan Ding, Jeffrey E. Gershenwald, Jonathan C. Salo, Barbara A. Pockaj, Richard Essner, Mark B. Faries, Kim ...> ;Annals of Surgical Oncology. 2011 Jun 7
9 citations
Mitotic Rate and Sentinel Lymph Node Tumor Burden Topography: Integration Into Melanoma Staging and Stratification Use in Clinical Trials
Bruce J. Averbook> ;Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2011 Jun 1
22 citations
Melanoma in Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Patients
John M. Kirkwood, Drazen M. Jukic, Bruce J. Averbook, Leonard S. Sender> ;Seminars in Oncology. 2009 Oct 1
33 citations
A long-term analysis of 1018 patients with melanoma by classic Cox regression and tree-structured survival analysis at a major referral center: Implications on the fut...
Bruce J. Averbook, Pingfu Fu, J.Sunil Rao, Edward G. Mansour> ;Surgery. 2002 Oct 1
63 citations
Immunogenicity and therapeutic efficacy of dendritic-tumor hybrid cells generated by electrofusion.
Takashi Hayashi, Hiroshi Tanaka, Junta Tanaka, Rongfu Wang, Bruce J. Averbook, Peter A. Cohen, Suyu Shu> ;Clinical Immunology. 2002 Jul 1
13 citations
Antitumor effects of Flt3 ligand in transplanted murine tumor models.
Bruce J. Averbook, Jo Ann L. Schuh, Robert S. Papay, Charles Maliszewski> ;Journal of Immunotherapy. 2002 Jan 1
79 citations
Divergent effects of 4-1BB antibodies on antitumor immunity and on tumor-reactive T-cell generation.
Julian A Kim, Bruce J. Averbook, Kathleen Chambers, Kevin Rothchild, Jorgen Kjaergaard, Robert S. Papay, Suyu Shu> ;Cancer Research. 2001 Mar 3
2 citations
Coinfusion of irradiated splenocytes with low titer tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes augments antitumor efficacy in adoptive immunotherapy.
Bruce J. Averbook, Ronald P. Cleveland, Chad Viscusi, Robert S. Papay> ;Journal of Immunotherapy. 1999 Mar 1
25 citations
A long-term analysis of 620 patients with malignant melanoma at a major referral center
Bruce J. Averbook, Leo J. Russo, Edward G. Mansour> ;Surgery. 1998 Oct 1
119 citations
RANTES Secretion by Gene-Modified Tumor Cells Results in Loss of Tumorigenicity In Vivo: Role of Immune Cell Subpopulations
James J. Mulé, Mary C. Custer, Bruce J. Averbook, James Chih-Hsin Yang, Jeffrey S. Weber, David V. Goeddel, Steven A. Rosenberg, Thomas J. Schall> ;Human Gene Therapy. 1996 Aug 20
Pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of parenterally administered human alpha-lymphotoxin in normal and meth-A tumor-bearing BALB/c mice.
Bruce J. Averbook, E.B. Jeffes, Robert S. Yamamoto, Irene Masunaka, M. Kobayashi, Gale A. Granger> ;Journal of Biological Response Modifiers. 1989 Aug 1
Differences in the bioactivity of recombinant human TNF, LT, and T-cell-derived LT-3 on transformed cells in vitro and the Meth A tumor growing in BALB/c mice.
Gale A. Granger, Irene Masunaka, Bruce J. Averbook, Kobayashi M, Fitzgerald M, Robert S. Yamamoto> ;Journal of Biological Response Modifiers. 1988 Oct 1
7 citations
Purified native and recombinant human alpha lymphotoxin [tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-beta] induces inflammatory reactions in normal skin
Bruce J. Averbook, Robert S. Yamamoto, T. R. Ulich, Edward W. B. Jeffes, Irene Masunaka, Gale A. Granger> ;Journal of Clinical Immunology. 1987 Jul 1
1 citations
Human alpha lymphotoxin (LT): studies examining the mechanism(s) of LT-induced inflammation and tumor destruction in vivo.
Edward W. B. Jeffes, Bruce J. Averbook, T. R. Ulich, Gale A. Granger> ;Lymphokine Research. 1987 Jan 1
7 citations
Electrophysiologic changes associated with chronic administration of organophosphates.
Bruce J. Averbook, Rebecca J. Anderson> ;Archives of Toxicology. 1983 Mar 1
A tumor-elaborated supernatant factor chemotactic for IL-2 expanded tumor infiltrating T-lymphocytes.
Averbook, B. J., Wei, J. P., Perry-Lalley, D. M., Rosenberg, S. A., Yang, J. C.> ;Lymphokine Cytokine Res. 1993 Feb
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Journal Articles

Safety and Feasibility of Minimally Invasive Inguinal Lymph Node Dissection in Patients with Melanoma (SAFE-MILND)
Jakub, J.W.,Terando, A.M., Sarnaik, A., Ariyan, C.E., Faries, M.B., Neuman, H., Wasif, N., Zani , Jr, S., Wayne, J.D., Farma, J.M., Averbook, B.J., Grotz, T.E., Allred..., Pending, 1/1/2015