About Kenneth Tanabe, MD
Dr. Kenneth Tanabe is a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery and ESSCO – Slater Family Chair of Surgical Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He serves as the Deputy Clinical Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Director of the Mass General Liver Surgery Program, and is a previous Director of the Liver Surgery Program for the Department of Surgery.
Dr. Tanabe is a board member of the American Board of Surgery Complex General Surgical Oncology Board. He has served on the Executive Council of the Society of Surgical Oncology, and serves on the editorial board for several journals, including service as Deputy Editor for Annals of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Tanabe has an active clinical practice that focuses on complex liver surgery including laparoscopic resections and multidisciplinary cancer patient evaluations. Dr. Tanabe is also an active member of the Melanoma Surgery Program, and formerly served as its director. He provides care for melanoma patients, and he served on the melanoma patient care guidelines committee for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for 15 years. Dr. Tanabe directs a research translational laboratory involved in studies of novel experimental cancer therapies and cancer prevention strategies.
Clinical Interests:
- Colon cancer
- Laparoscopic / Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Liver cancer
- Liver surgery
- Melanoma surgery
- Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping
Treats:
- Adult
Locations
Mass General Surgery: Surgical Oncology
55 Fruit St.
Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care
7th Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-724-4000
Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham
52 Second Ave.
Suite 1110
Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: 781-487-6100
Medical Education
- MD, University of California San Diego
- Residency, New York Presbyterian - Weill Cornell Medical Center
- Fellowship, The University of Texas - M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
American Board Certifications
- Surgery, General, American Board of Surgery
Accepted Insurance Plans
- Aetna
- Beech Street
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare
- Cigna
- Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Coventry
- Fallon Health
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Humana
- Maine Community Health Options
- Mass General Brigham Health Plan
- MassHealth
- Medicaid ME
- Medicaid NH
- Medicaid RI
- Medicare
- Medicare ACO
- Multiplan
- Railroad Medicare
- Senior Whole Health
- TriCare
- Tufts Health Plan
- United Health Care
- Wellpoint
- WellSense
- WellSense NH
Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.
Research
Dr. Tanabe directs a research laboratory focused on 1) hepatocellular carcinoma prevention; and 2) experimental gene therapy for liver tumors. His laboratory has been funded by the National Institutes of Health continuously since 1993.
Research in the area of hepatocellular carcinoma focuses on signal transduction pathways involved during malignant transformation of hepatocytes, and molecular mechanisms of cirrhosis progression. Agents that prevent progression of cirrhosis or prevent development of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic livers are examined in preclinical models before development of clinical trials. The effects on liver are monitored via a gene signature, in collaboration with Yujin Hoshida and Todd Golub at the Broad Institute.
Research in experimental gene therapy for liver tumors focuses on development of replication-conditional viruses that destroy tumors by virtue of replication in the tumor cells, a process that simultaneously produces daughter progeny virion that can infect adjacent tumor cells. Significant progress has been made in alteration of the viral genome to restrict viral replication in normal cells. One virus is now in clinical trial for patients with primary or secondary liver tumors.
Publications
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Over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 50 review articles and book chapters on melanoma and liver surgery.
Dr. Tanabe was wonderful
Doctor Tanabe was very caring and explained just what needed to be done and calmed my nerves. I highly recommend him and appreciate his caring compassion.
I'm very impressed with Dr. Tanabe's communication and his manner. Very comfortable with him. I feel very well informed. He called today on a Saturday to give me an update on discussions and plans for the surgery and to answer any questions I had. So I'm very pleased about that.
Yes, Dr. Tanabe was outstanding. He clearly knows what he's doing and puts the patient at ease.
Oh yes, I was apprehensive going into the office. I was less apprehensive coming out because the outcome I expected was much better than I had anticipated. That's probably the most I can say about the visit. It was very concise and explained what would be done, what he would do, and what the plastic surgeon would do. And just to take one day at a ... Read More
He was friendly, kind and direct. He explained things in a manner easy to understand. He answered all my questions as well
I absolutely love Dr. Tanabe and his staff. Everybody is very thoughtful and kind. Dr. Tanabe is very personable, and you can tell he's confident in his knowledge, and understanding of the medical problems in front of him. I trust him, which is really important, especially with what kind of case he handles. And he's very genuine. He's constantly ... Read More
[redacted] When Dr. Tanabe came into the room he never introduced himself so I introduced myself. He asked why I was there I started to tell him and he looked away and focused on the computer. No face to face contact he was busty typing. Very brisk demeanor. I did not feel comfortable asking questions. [redacted] I'm not expecting hand holding but ... Read More
I have the greatest respect for Dr. Tanabe. I am very grateful that he was my surgeon. I always look forward to follow-up visits with him.
Dr Tanabe was very professional, understanding and compassionate. He explained everything to me in a way I could understand. He made me feel very at ease.