Dr. Fong has become a globally eminent surgical oncologists with innovative use of cutting-edge tools.
Yuman Fong has led his City of Hope’s surgery department to the forefront of using chimeric oncolytic virus, CF33, to target multiple tumor types including colon, lung, breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers. Clinical trials of the immune-stimulating virus have been underway since 2021 for patients with metastatic or advanced solid tumors. The early results look promising. One bile duct cancer patient achieved full remission sustained for over 200 days.
Fong’s team also works with robotic companies to design surgical tools like advanced imaging technologies, ablative techniques, and surgical robots. Fong is at the leading edge of efforts to combine robotic surgery with artificial intelligence to allow standard surgical procedures to be automated, leaving surgeons with energy and focus for critical procedures.
As one of the world’s highest cited researchers, with over a thousand articles and 24 textbooks published, Fong is even innovating his textbook writing strategy to produce three versions: one each for trainees, experts, and AI.
His world-class liver resection techniques have transformed Stage 4 colorectal cancer from a death warrant into a condition with more positive outcomes.
In 2022 the American Surgical Association awarded Fong the esteemed Flance-Karl Award for pioneering contributions to cancer treatment in surgical techniques, gene therapy, and lab technology. The year prior he was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Since 2014 Fong has been Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the City of Hope’s Duarte, California facility where he holds the Sangiacomo Family Chair in Surgical Oncology.
Before joining City of Hope, he served as Chair of Surgery at New York City’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 2001 to 2014. He began his career there as an Associate Member in 1993, following two fellowships beginning in 1991.
After earning his medical degree from Cornell in 1984 Fong devoted 7 years to complete an internship, three residencies, and a fellowship at the Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Fong emigrated from Hong Kong and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Medieval Literature from Brown University in 1981. He is married to attorney Nicole Bergman Fong. They have 3 daughters who are all accomplished sport shooters. Abigail, now a thoracic surgeon at City of Hope, was a past U.S. national shooting champion. Sandra competed on the U.S. team in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Danielle, who has cerebral palsy, was member of the 2008 U.S. Paralympic team.
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