Steven R. Alberts, M.D.

Steven R. Alberts, M.D., is a professor of oncology in the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and a consultant in the Division of Medical Oncology. He is also the medical director for the Clinical Research Office in the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and serves as co-chair for the pancreatic cancer subcommittee of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology.

Dr. Alberts has a long-standing research career that predates his appointment in medical oncology. He has a master's in public health and has worked as an epidemiologist with the Indian Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this former position, Dr. Alberts participated in studies of cancer in the Alaska Native population. He has continued these interests and is partly funded through a Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program grant.

Dr. Alberts also serves as a member of the National Cancer Institute-sponsored Gastrointestinal Intergroup GI Steering Committee, Pancreas Cancer Task Force, and Colon Cancer Task Force to help coordinate clinical trials through the national cooperative groups.

Focus areas

Dr. Alberts has developed an international reputation for his work related to the treatment of upper gastrointestinal malignancies. He conducts a variety of clinical trials for this group of diseases. He also has a variety of publications outlining this research and is the co-author of several book chapters.

Specific research interests include:

• Gastrointestinal malignancies
• Early drug development
• Epidemiology
• Cancer prevention
• Cancer in American Indians and Alaska Natives

Significance to patient care

Dr. Alberts has focused on developing novel therapies for patients with liver cancer and bile duct cancer, as well as patients with metastases to the liver from colorectal cancer. His work on novel approaches to the treatment of liver metastases has provided guidance on management options and therapy choices.

Dr. Alberts recently completed a trial, which involved nearly 3,000 patients from North America, assessing the value of a novel therapy for patients with resected colon cancer. Findings showed that the current standard for adjuvant therapy remains the most appropriate therapy.

Professional highlights

• Best Doctors — 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011-2012
• Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare, 2011-2012
• Best of ASCO, American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2010
• Associate Editor, Gastrointestinal Cancer Research