The Medical Advisory Board is composed of experts in the research, treatment and management of rare and advanced abdominal cancers.
The work of the Alliance consists of three main areas of focus all centered on patients and caregivers: Awareness, Connection, and Navigation. Our goal is to ensure that individuals diagnosed with rare and advanced abdominal cancers - including peritoneal surface malignancies like pseudomyxoma peritonei, peritoneal mesothelioma, appendiceal cancer, and other gastrointestinal and gynecological cancers - receive the best care possible through comprehensive support and access to reliable information. The key to realizing that goal is improving patient access to CRS/HIPEC treatments and ensuring that they receive timely, expert care.
The Medical Advisory Board of the Abdominal Cancers Alliance plays a vital role in advancing our mission by:
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Offering expert guidance on educational resources, including the diagnosis and treatment of rare and advanced abdominal cancers and translating research into clear, accessible information.
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Helping to connect the Alliance across the community.
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Championing the Alliance’s work through education, awareness, and professional outreach.
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Helping to build a trusted network of specialists and centers for peritoneal surface malignancies, and encouraging patients to seek multiple consultations for the best care.
Together, they ensure patients receive informed, compassionate, and cutting-edge support.
The current members of the Medical Advisory Board include:
Dr. Armando Sardi
Director, Surgical Oncology
Institute for Cancer Care
Mercy Medical Center
Baltimore, MD
Dr. Armando Sardi is a renowned surgical oncologist and Medical Director of The Institute for Cancer Care at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Internationally recognized for his expertise in treating complex abdominal cancers, Dr. Sardi specializes in cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), offering hope to patients with advanced-stage malignancies. He has performed thousands of these procedures, earning a reputation for extending survival and improving quality of life for patients worldwide.
Dr. Sardi's leadership, compassion, and innovative approach continue to inspire both the medical community and the patients he serves.
Dr. Jason Foster
Chief of Surgical Oncology
Nebraska Medicine Hospital
Omaha, NE
Dr. Jason Foster is one of a very small number of surgical oncologists in the USA practicing HIPEC, or hot chemotherapy, which is used to treat cancers of the appendix, ovaries, and colon, as well as mesothelioma. Surgeons first remove the visible tumor from inside the abdominal cavity, then fill the cavity with a heated chemotherapy solution. The chemo essentially "washes" out the microscopic cancer cells from the patient's abdomen. It's these tiny cancer cells that often re-implant and cause the cancer to return. Abdominal cancer returns in 65-80% of patients treated with traditional surgery followed by IV chemotherapy.
Dr. Vadim Gushchin
Director, HIPEC Program at Mercy
Mercy Medical Center
Baltimore, MD
Vadim Gushchin, M.D., of Surgical Oncology at Mercy, is among the region’s leading surgical oncologists, offering long-time expertise in the treatment of complex cancers. As Director of Mercy's prestigious HIPEC Program, he has championed efforts to improve survival rates of late-stage cancers, offering advanced treatment options available only in select hospitals throughout the country. Dr. Gushchin has been recognized by his peers as a "Top Doctor" in Surgical Oncology in Baltimore magazine.
With an expansive skill set in sophisticated surgical techniques, Dr. Gushchin offers minimally invasive surgery, including da Vinci robotic surgery, as well as cytoreductive surgical options to remove extensive tumor damage.
Dr. Vadim Gushchin leads Mercy’s Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center as well as Gastrointestinal Oncology at Mercy, a division of Surgical Oncology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Peter Ledakis
Medical Oncologist
Mercy Medical Center
Baltimore, MD
Dr. Peter Ledakis is a respected Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of complex
cancers including appendiceal, stomach, gynecologic, and colorectal cancers.
Board certified in Medical Oncology and Hematology, Dr. Ledakis is known for his compassionate, patient-first approach and deep commitment to personalized care. He plays an integral role in Mercy’s multidisciplinary cancer team and actively participates in clinical research on gastrointestinal malignancies and peritoneal carcinomatosis.
A “Top Doctor” honoree by Baltimore magazine, Dr. Ledakis brings both expertise and empathy to every patient interaction.
Dr. Sameer Patel
Surgical Oncologist
UC Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
Dr. Sameer Patel is a board-certified Surgical Oncologist specializing in the management of complex gastrointestinal malignancies. His clinical expertise includes the multidisciplinary care of patients with pancreatic, hepatobiliary, peritoneal surface, gastric, and soft tissue tumors. A committed academic surgeon, Dr. Patel combines advanced surgical techniques with evidence-based oncology to deliver comprehensive and individualized care. His work is focused on improving outcomes for patients facing aggressive cancers through innovative treatment strategies and clinical research.
Dr. Maheswari Senthil
Director, Peritoneal Malignancy Program
UCI Health
Orange County, CA
Dr. Senthil is an internationally recognized surgeon-scientist who specializes in the management of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Dr. Senthil is Professor of Clinical Surgery and the Chief of the Division Surgical Oncology at University of California Irvine (UCI). She is the Director of the peritoneal surface malignancy program, the Vice-Chair of research for the Department of Surgery-UCI and the inaugural John Wayne cancer foundation endowed chair.
The overarching goal of her work is to improve the outcomes of patients with peritoneal malignancies through innovation, research, and technical excellence. Her research is focused on changing the treatment and diagnostic paradigms peritoneal carcinomatosis.
She collaborates with an outstanding team of scientists at UCI and other reputed institutions to develop an in-vitro, 3-D vascularized microtumor model of peritoneal carcinomatosis to assess treatment response of peritoneal metastases. This work has been
funded by National Cancer institute (NCI) with a R01 grant in 2024. She is also developing a liquid biopsy utilizing exosomal biomarkers in patients with gastrointestinal cancers. Dr. Senthil is the principal investigator of NCI funded, STOPGAP-II a phase
II/III clinical trial that is evaluating a new strategy of combining intraperitoneal chemotherapy with systemic therapy to treat patients with gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis.
Dr. Senthil is a highly respected educator. She founded the complex general surgical oncology fellowship both at Loma Linda University Health in 2015 and UCI in 2021. She has received numerous awards for her commitment and dedication to educational excellence including Golden apple award, Arnold P. Gold award for humanism and leadership and John Connolly teacher of the year award.
Dr. Senthil has published over 120 peer reviewed papers, several book chapters, and serves as the editorial board member of Annals of Surgical Oncology and Surgical Oncology Insights.
Dr. Mohammad Haroon Asif Choudry
Surgical Oncologist
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Pittsburgh, PA
Mohammad Haroon Asif Choudry, MD, is a surgical oncologist at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and an associate professor of surgery and surgical oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Dr. Choudry is board-certified in general surgery. He received his medical degree from Aga Khan University Medical School in Karachi, Pakistan. Dr. Choudry completed both a residency in general surgery and a research fellowship in surgery and physiology at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa., during which time he was a five-time recipient of the Resident In-service Award. Most recently, Dr. Choudry completed a clinical fellowship in surgical oncology at UPMC.
Dr. Choudry is a member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology. He has authored more than 20 scholarly publications, including peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and book chapters.
Dr. Edward Levine
Surgical Oncologist
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Surgical Oncology - Cancer Center
Winston-Salem, NC
Dr. Edward A. Levine is a Professor of Surgical Oncology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Section Head of Surgical Sciences - Oncology at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. He also serves as Special Advisor to the Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Levine’s research and clinical efforts are centered on cytoreductive surgery combined with HIPEC for peritoneal surface malignancies—such as appendiceal, colorectal, and mesothelioma cancers—and he leads studies exploring repeat CRS-HIPEC outcomes, peritoneal immunotherapy, and patient-specific tumor models including organoids for personalized treatment strategies
“This program is critical in raising awareness, offering education, and aiding in the navigation around the abdominal cancer journey. I found hope, support, and a life-saving solution.”
Lisa Daniels, survivor