Dr. Ciara Kelly

Dr. Ciara Kelly, MD, is a medical oncologist with specialized expertise in the treatment and research of bone and soft tissue sarcomas and Merkel cell carcinoma. She practices at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she works closely within a multidisciplinary team of medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, nurses, and patient support advocates to provide individualized care for patients with these rare and complex cancers. Her clinical approach is centered on matching the best treatment options to each patient's unique disease and circumstances.

Her research is focused on developing new and more personalized therapies for sarcomas, with active involvement in designing and conducting clinical trials that investigate novel agents targeting molecular changes within tumors. She is also studying innovative combination immunotherapy strategies that harness a patient's own immune system to fight cancer. Dr. Kelly has a particular interest in advancing the molecular understanding of gastrointestinal stromal tumors and other sarcomas, using liquid biopsies to analyze tumor DNA in the blood alongside tumor tissue biopsies to identify biomarkers that can guide individualized treatment decisions.

Dr. Kelly is committed to expanding treatment options for patients diagnosed with rare cancers, recognizing that a sarcoma diagnosis can feel isolating given the perceived scarcity of available therapies. At MSK, she works within a dedicated team of experts solely focused on diagnosing and treating sarcomas, where the rare is not uncommon. Through her clinical care, biomarker research, and clinical trial development, she continues to push forward the standard of care for patients facing these challenging malignancies.