Doctor's Bio
Dr. Carlos H. Chan, MD, PhD, is a surgical oncologist who specializes in treating pancreatic cancer and other complex cancers of the digestive system. He also cares for patients with cancers that have spread to the lining of the abdomen, including peritoneal carcinomatosis and mesothelioma.
Dr. Chan has advanced expertise in complex cancer surgery and treatments that may provide options for patients with difficult-to-treat disease. He performs cytoreductive surgery with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), which combines surgery to remove visible cancer with chemotherapy delivered directly into the abdomen. He also has extensive experience with irreversible electroporation (IRE), or NanoKnife, a specialized treatment that uses electrical pulses to target certain pancreatic tumors that cannot be safely removed with traditional surgery.
Dr. Chan earned his medical degree and PhD in biochemistry from McGill University and completed his general surgery residency at McGill University Health Centre. He then completed advanced fellowship training in complex general surgical oncology through Harvard Medical School.
In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Chan leads research and clinical trials focused on developing better treatments for pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers. His work explores how the immune system, metabolism, and the environment surrounding a tumor can be used to develop new approaches for treating advanced cancer.
Board Certifications
American Board of Surgery
Education & Training
- Medical School: McGill University
- Residency: McGill University
Fellowships
Massachusetts General Brigham/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Locations and Directions
Correll Pavilion
Monday - Friday: 6 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Publications
- Proto-Oncogene HRAS Transcript Level and Overall Survival in Stages II and III Colorectal Cancer.
Kim D, Sharif S, Garay JAR, Bhakta AS, Boland PM, Cavnar MJ, Churchman ML, Hatoum H, Huang LC, Kim J, Kim R, Lentz RW, Mukherjee S, O'Donnell MT, Quartey B, Reilley MJ, Rounbehler RJ, Salhia B, Schneider BP, Chan CH
Cancer medicine. 2025;14(15):e71114.
PMID: 40879062 - Epigenetic Modulation, Intra-tumoral Microbiome and Immunity in Early Onset Colorectal Cancer.
Jin N, Hoyd R, Yilmaz AS, Zhu J, Liu Y, Singh MJ, Grencewicz D, Mo X, Kalady M, Rosenberg D, Dravillas CE, Singer EA, Carpten JD, Chan CH, Churchman ML, Denko NC, Di Clemente F, Dodd RD, Eljilany I, Fei N, Hardikar S, Ikeguchi AP, Ma A, Ma Q, McCarter MD, Osman AE, Riedlinger G, Robinson LA, Schneider BP, Tarhini AA, Tinoco G, Figueiredo J, Zakharia Y, Ulrich CM, Tan AC, Spakowicz D
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology. 2025;
PMID: 40236026 - A luminescent sensor for investigating serotonin metabolism in neuroendocrine cancer.
Tow DH, Chan CH, Howe JR, Ear PH
Surgery. 2024;175(3):726-734.
PMID: 37914574 - Larotrectinib in Mismatch-Repair-Deficient TRK Fusion-Positive Metastatic Colon Cancer After Progression on Immunotherapy.
Kasi PM, Afghan MK, Bellizzi AM, Chan CH
Cureus. 2022;14(7):e26648.
PMID: 35815302 - Expression of cancer stem cell markers in tall cell variant papillary thyroid cancer identifies a molecular profile predictive of recurrence in classic papillary thyroid cancer.
Beck AC, Rajan A, Landers S, Kelley S, Bellizzi AM, Lal G, Sugg SL, Howe JR, Chan CH, Weigel RJ
Surgery. 2022;171(1):245-251.
PMID: 34362588 - Management of pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm.
Hoshi H, Zaheer A, El Abiad RG, Maxwell JE, Chu LC, Gerke H, Chan CH
Current problems in surgery. 2018;55(4):126-152.
PMID: 29753366 - Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Breast Cancer Cells in Patient Blood with Nuclease-Activated Probe Technology.
Kruspe S, Dickey DD, Urak KT, Blanco GN, Miller MJ, Clark KC, Burghardt E, Gutierrez WR, Phadke SD, Kamboj S, Ginader T, Smith BJ, Grimm SK, Schappet J, Ozer H, Thomas A, McNamara JO, Chan CH, Giangrande PH
Molecular therapy. Nucleic acids. 2017;
PMID: 28918054 - Preclinical Evaluation of Cathepsin-Based Fluorescent Imaging System for Cytoreductive Surgery.
Chan CH, Liesenfeld LF, Ferreiro-Neira I, Cusack JC
Annals of surgical oncology. 2017;24(4):931-938.
PMID: 27913947 - Molecular Predictors of Radiotherapy Response in Sarcoma.
Chan CH, Wong P
Current treatment options in oncology. 2016;17(1):2.
PMID: 26714494 - XPO1 Inhibition Enhances Radiation Response in Preclinical Models of Rectal Cancer.
Ferreiro-Neira I, Torres NE, Liesenfeld LF, Chan CH, Penson T, Landesman Y, Senapedis W, Shacham S, Hong TS, Cusack JC
Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. 2016;22(7):1663-73.
PMID: 26603256
PLANNING
PREPARING FOR YOUR VISIT
Whether you’re a patient or you’re visiting one, a little planning beforehand can make your visit to Grady easier and more comfortable. Here, you’ll find everything you need to prepare for your visit, including an appointment checklist, admissions information, dining options, and much more.