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Joel M. Baumgartner, MD is a surgical oncologist with expertise in cancers of the GI tract and melanoma. He is board certified in general surgery and completed a surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh with a focus on clinical research, which included additional training in the development and conduct of clinical trials.

Dr. Baumgartner has specific expertise and interest in treating tumors that have metastasized to the abdomen, using a promising treatment known as the “chemo bath" or hyperthermic (heated) intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). This treatment involves surgical resection of all tumors followed by circulation of heated chemotherapy throughout the abdomen. This technique avoids many of the toxicities associated with systemic chemotherapy, while exposing the abdomen to higher concentrations of chemotherapy. Dr. Baumgartner spent two years working and training at one of highest volume HIPEC centers in the world at the University of Pittsburgh and therefore has significant experience with this procedure.

Dr. Baumgartner also treats melanoma and performs wide local excision of these tumors, sentinel lymph node biopsies and lymph node dissections.

Dr. Baumgartner is a member of numerous societies including the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and is an associate member of the American Association for Cancer Research and the American College of Surgeons. His research interests are in clinical trials, HIPEC, melanoma and immunotherapy.