Dr. Marwan Fakih

Dr. Marwan G. Fakih holds the Judy & Bernard Briskin Distinguished Director’s Chair in Clinical Research and co-leads the Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at City of Hope, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center where medical oncologists, hepatobiliary surgeons, radiation specialists, genetic counselors, nutritionists, and supportive-care clinicians confer in a single weekly conference to establish unified care plans for every new gastrointestinal-cancer patient. Nationally, he serves on the SWOG GI Committee and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network panels for colon and rectal cancers, aligning community practices with the latest evidence. Campus initiatives add bilingual nurse navigation and real-time electronic symptom tracking to first-visit workflows so logistical barriers never delay treatment. Keywords such as multidisciplinary colorectal-cancer clinic, coordinated gastrointestinal oncology services, City of Hope Duarte tumor board, personalized GI cancer care, supportive oncology navigation enhance search relevance. Families receive promptly harmonized recommendations, gaining certainty at a moment of profound stress.

 

HER2 amplification, BRAF V600E mutation, and KRAS G12C alteration sit at the center of Dr. Fakih’s translational agenda. Bench collaborations map resistance pathways, while liquid-biopsy platforms quantify circulating tumor DNA to signal therapeutic failure months before imaging changes. His flagship trial pairs encorafenib with cetuximab in BRAF-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer and has reshaped global treatment algorithms; concurrent studies test trastuzumab deruxtecan in HER2-positive disease and adagrasib plus cetuximab in KRAS-G12C tumors. Keywords such as BRAF V600E colon-cancer trial, HER2-amplified colorectal therapy, KRAS G12C inhibitor research, liquid biopsy monitoring GI oncology, precision targeted treatment strengthen authority. These projects translate molecular discoveries into timely treatment pivots that extend survival.

 

Education and outreach round out his portfolio. More than 180 peer-reviewed publications anchor invited lectures at ASCO, ESMO, and community hospitals across California, where he untangles genomics for non-specialists using plain-language analogies and culturally adapted visuals. Fellowship trainees rotate through his trials office, mastering protocol design, grant writing, and compassionate disclosure conversations. He partners with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance to create online modules that explain biomarker testing and clinical-trial participation in both English and Spanish. Keywords such as gastrointestinal oncology education resources, mentorship in cancer research, patient-friendly genomic testing, community cancer lectures California, colorectal cancer alliance collaboration improve discoverability. Patients and referring physicians access clear, trustworthy guidance that empowers joint decision-making.