Investigator Milana Dolezal, MD

Milana Dolezal, M.D. MSc, leads research enabling new approaches to the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies and cancer survivorship/supportive care.

She is a board-certified oncologist and hematologist who treats women’s malignancies (breast and gynecologic cancers) and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

Dr. Dolezal is a Principal Investigator for National Cancer Institute (NCI) and industry-sponsored cancer treatment clinical trials across the Sutter network and California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC). With a particular interest in novel, non-chemotherapy treatment options from past work at Genentech, Dr. Dolezal investigates tumor biology and targeted cancer therapies, especially in women’s malignancies. 

She participates in cancer meetings to understand the molecular and genetic pathways underlying hematological malignancies, and new treatments for patients with solid tumors. Dr. Dolezal ensures appropriate genetic and molecular testing aligned with evidence-based national guidelines in collaboration with Sutter Health genetic counselors and pathologists.She spearheads programs to improve the care of cancer patients. These include oncology practice initiatives based on evidence-based national guidelines and quality measures.

She initiated a multidisciplinary cancer survivorship program in the San Francisco East Bay to improve the health and quality of life of cancer patients transitioning from treatment to recovery. The program will be implemented in 2019 at CPMC.Dr. Dolezal believes in a multi-disciplinary approach including clinical trials when appropriate, and tumor board review. 

Dr. Dolezal rode her bike across the U.S. with fellow riders including Lance Armstrong to promote awareness about the importance of clinical trial participation.

Dr. Dolezal received her M.D. and MSc from Thomas Jefferson Medical College and Graduate school in Philadelphia. She completed residency training in internal medicine at the University of Southern California, and a fellowship in hematology-oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. Her fellowship training was followed by four years of clinical trial development work at Genentech to develop targeted cancer therapies guided by tumor biology across all phases of cancer clinical trials. Prior to medical school, she worked at the NCI of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland and conducted research at Stanford University School of Medicine.