Senior Associate Consultant
The Mayo Clinic
Katherine Poruk, M.D., is a surgical oncologist specializing in hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers and gastric cancer.
Her clinical focus includes:
Surgical treatment for benign and malignant diseases of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts
Surgical treatment for metastatic cancer to the liver and other abdominal organs, including hepatic artery infusion therapies
Surgical treatment of splenic conditions
Surgical treatment of gastric and small bowel tumors
Dr. Poruk has specialized experience and training in implementing hepatic arterial infusion pump (HAIP) chemotherapy into certain cancer treatment plans. HAIP therapy involves implanting a pump to deliver specialized chemotherapy drugs directly to metastatic tumors in the liver. Because the chemotherapy is delivered directly to the liver, high doses that are effective against tumors can be used without causing damage to the rest of the body. This reduces side effects and makes HAIP chemotherapy very effective in treating advanced tumors in the liver.
She is interested in finding the most effective outcome for each patient, which includes innovative approaches to surgery and a multidisciplinary approach to care.
Dr. Poruk completed medical school at the University of Utah School of Medicine, her surgical residency and a research fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and a fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.