Medical Oncology/Hematology
M. Ishaqe Memon, MD, is board certified in medical oncology and hematology. He completed his fellowship in cancer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, following his residency at Yale-New Haven Medical Center. His special interests include breast, lung, prostate and colon cancers; medical oncology, hematology, lymphoma, coagulopathy, and multiple myeloma.
Dr. Memon began medical school fascinated with the field of hematology. Then his third year of medical school an aunt who had a healthy lifestyle (never smoked) developed cancer of the lip. He frequently helped with her care before she died. Shortly after that, one of his best friends in medical school was diagnosed with leukemia and died three months later. These two experiences more than 20 years ago cemented his strong desire to become an oncologist. Today, what motivates him to continue treating blood diseases and cancer is the satisfaction he feels when he can give his patients more hope. “Medicines are so much more advanced,” he said. Lymphoma is almost always curable. Now there are five medicines that successfully treat kidney cancer. The criteria for treating patients have taken a big leap and are no longer based on patient age. A 70 or 80-year-old with cancer, otherwise healthy and active, can be treated successfully, not just to prolong life, but to provide quality of life. “The advances in treatment and what it means to my patients is what excites me,” he said.
