Dr. Christopher D. Lao

Dr. Francis Worden received his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1993. Prior to attending medical school, he worked as a registered pharmacist at a large community hospital in Indianapolis. In 1997, Dr. Worden completed a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the Detroit Medical Center and finished a medical oncology/hematology fellowship at the University of Michigan. In July 2000, Dr. Worden joined the faculty at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, where he is currently working as a clinical investigator with both the multidisciplinary head and neck oncology team and the multidisciplinary lung cancer team. Dr. Worden's research interests include organ preservation in head and neck cancer and endocrine oncology. He is the Nancy Wigginton Oncology Research Professor of Thyroid Cancer. Avid competitive swimmer ; cyclist and runner. Dr. Worden is highly rated in 33 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Laryngeal Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Throat Cancer, and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). Dr. Worden is board certified in Medical Oncology. Dr. Worden is currently accepting new patients.

Scott Schuetze is an Oncologist practicing medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Schuetze is highly rated in 30 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Liposarcoma, Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Angiosarcoma, and Myxoid Liposarcoma. Dr. Schuetze is currently accepting new patients.

The T-cell lymphomas are a heterogeneous and poorly understood group of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. The most common T-cell lymphoma in the United States includes a heterogeneous mix of lymphomas that lack distinguishing characteristics and, until recently, remained clinically and molecularly “unspecified”. Improved understanding of T-cell lymphoma pathogenesis and the development of novel therapeutic strategies will be needed to address this challenge and improve outcomes for patients afflicted with these aggressive lymphomas. My group made the landmark discovery that the most common T-cell lymphoma in North America is comprised of two molecularly and clinically distinct subsets. This finding has significant implications for the classification and treatment of these lymphomas. We have also demonstrated that malignant T cells remain dependent upon antigen-presenting cells within the tumor microenvironment and are developing novel therapeutic strategies targeting these cells. Many fundamental questions, including the “cell of origin”, the role of antigen-, costimulatory-, and cytokine-receptor signaling, and the contribution of myeloid-derived antigen-presenting cells in disease pathogenesis remain obscure. My laboratory uses complementary mouse models and primary T-cell lymphoma specimens (in ex vivo and patient-derived xenograft studies) to address these fundamental and clinically relevant questions. We are poised to clinically translate our laboratory-based findings into novel therapeutic strategies that we hope will improve outcomes for patients afflicted with these aggressive lymphomas. I enjoy working with a multidisciplinary team of enthusiastic collaborators who share this common goal. Dr. Wilcox is highly rated in 23 conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses T-Cell Lymphoma, Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL), Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, and Bone Marrow Aspiration. Dr. Wilcox is board certified in Hematology, Internal Medicine, and Medical Oncology. Dr. Wilcox is currently accepting new patients.