"Fred Hutch Cancer Center" "Cures Start Here"

Vyshak Venur, MD

Provider

Vyshak Venur, MD

Clinical Director of Neuro Oncology , Fred Hutch
Assistant Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
Assistant Professor, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine

Specialty:

Neuro-Oncology

Medical Oncology

Request an Appointment Print

“It’s not enough to give information — we must help people understand how a particular disease or treatment will affect them personally. That’s why I have a keen interest in learning about each patient. ”

— Dr. Venur

Tell us about an interaction with a patient that had a significant impact on you.

During my fellowship, I met a young guy who’d been diagnosed with cancer that had spread to his brain. He’d seen a number of other physicians prior to me, and most of them had recommended that he get radiation, but he was adamantly against it. As a law student, he was concerned about the impact of radiation on his ability to think and finish school. Even though he’d seen all these other specialists, no one had talked to him in detail about what the treatment would mean for him specifically and what would happen if he didn’t get it. After our appointment, he wrote me a letter thanking me for taking the time to explain the disease process and how it would affect his future. In the end, he opted to get radiation, and he did well, even graduating from law school. It’s not enough to just give information — we must help people understand how a particular disease or treatment will affect them personally. That’s why I have a keen interest in learning about each patient.

How do you help patients?

A diagnosis of brain or spinal cancer can have devasting consequences for you and your family. As a neuro-oncologist, my focus is not just controlling or eliminating cancer, but also helping you go about your day-to-day life while dealing with challenging symptoms like paralysis, cognitive issues or problems with speech. My role is to support you and your caregivers during this tough period — and to offer hope. While it’s important to maintain realistic expectations, research in this field is growing. Novel therapeutic approaches are being tested in clinical trials at Fred Hutch and other cancer centers across the country. We’ll discuss which treatment options, whether traditional or experimental, may be a good fit for you.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Brain and spine, primary and secondary metastasis

I specialize in treating patients with primary brain tumors and central nervous system (CNS) metastases — cancers that have spread to the brain, spinal cord or spinal fluid from elsewhere in the body. I provide care at Fred Hutch’s Neuro-oncology Clinic and UW Medical Center’s Alvord Brain Tumor Center.

My research is focused on developing new treatment options for people with brain tumors or CNS metastases. I am particularly interested in how immunotherapies could help these patients as well as increasing the availability of clinical trials. In addition to care and research, I have published many peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters. I am also an active member of various committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Diseases Treated

Brain and Spinal Cord Cancers

Leptomeningeal Disease

Languages

English
Hindi

Education, Experience and Certifications

Medical Degree
Armed Forces Medical College

Residency
Cleveland Clinic-Fairview Hospital

Fellowship
University of Iowa, Hematology-Oncology; Massachusetts General Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Neuro-Oncology

Board Certification
Medical Oncology, 2018; Internal Medicine, 2015, American Board of Internal Medicine

Awards

2017 Best Fellows’ Research Presentation, Iowa Oncology Society

2015 Resident Travel Grant, Cleveland Clinic-Fairview Hospital

2015 Young Investigator Award, American College of Physicians

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you.

Find a Clinical Trial Led by Dr. Venur

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by other physicians and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written.

View Dr. Venur's Publications

Your Care Team

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like registered dietitians, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders.

Meet Other Providers

Insurance

Fred Hutch accepts most national private health insurance plans as well as Medicare. We also accept Medicaid for people from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. We are working to ensure that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, has access to the care they need.

More About Insurance