When M. Wasif Saif, M.D., M.B.B.S., was studying to be a doctor at King Edward Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan, he didn’t plan to become an oncologist. But when a family member was diagnosed with cancer, he saw first hand the limitations of the field.
“I took this as a challenge,” Saif says, “and decided to become an oncologist.”
Saif, a member of the medical oncology practice at Yale Medical Group, did his residency in internal medicine at the University Of Connecticut School Of Medicine and a fellowship in medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute. He is a member of the Yale Pancreatic Disease Program and serves as co-director of the Yale Cancer Center’s Gastrointestinal Cancers Program, which provides specialized care for patients with pancreatic cancer.
“Dr. Saif is one of the true rising stars in the field of gastrointestinal malignancies,” says Edward Chu, M.D., deputy director chief of medical oncology at Yale Cancer Center. “He has already developed a national and international reputation.”
The promise of clinical trials
Saif sees the greatest potential for advancing the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies, particularly pancreatic cancer, through clinical trials to test new cancer drugs and treatment regimens. He is currently enrolling patients in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials at Yale. Information on these trials can be found at http://yalestudies.org.
In addition, Saif is working with a team of researchers to develop a pancreatic cancer screening in high-risk patients, such as those with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are involved in the development of breast and ovarian cancer; researchers believe such patients are also at greater risk for pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer continues to challenge physicians, and effective screening guidelines are still a long way off, but Saif says the frustrations are worth it. “When I see the smiles on the faces of patients who are living longer because of our efforts, it is a great satisfaction,” he says.