Quick Facts
  • wavy circle icon with check mark inside
    Expertise:
    Cytoreductive Surgery
    HIPEC
  • magnifying glass with heart icon
    Speciality:
    Surgical Oncology
  • gender symbols interlocked icon
    Gender:
    Male
  • chat box with different language translations icon
    Language:
    English, Greek
  • pin location icon
    Primary Location:
    Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine

Get to Know Dr. Giorgos C. Karakousis

Dr. Giorgos Karakousis is a surgical oncologist with extensive experience in the combination of cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, also known as HIPEC. It has proven especially effective for peritoneal mesothelioma cancer.

The combination, done only at select cancer centers across the country, has changed the way many peritoneal surface malignancies are treated. It has extended survival dramatically for mesothelioma patients.

Karakousis also treats bile duct, gastrointestinal, colon, appendix and head and neck cancers. He has expertise in fibrosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, adamantinoma and laparotomy.

Karakousis serves as an associate professor of surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is part of the Melanoma and Cutaneous Malignancies Program, the Sarcoma Program and the Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at Abramson.

His research has focused on emerging immunotherapies and identifying new biomarkers for cancer treatment. He is involved in numerous clinical projects studying advanced peritoneal malignancies, melanomas and sarcomas.

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Specialties of Dr. Giorgos C. Karakousis

  • HIPEC
  • Peritoneal mesothelioma
  • Research
  • Cytoreductive surgery
  • Limb-sparing surgery
  • Gastrointestinal cancer

Dr. Giorgos C. Karakousis’ Experience and Medical Education

  • Abramson Cancer Center, Philadelphia
  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (Fellowships)
  • Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Residency)
  • University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (M.D.)

Awards and Certifications

  • Melanoma International Foundation Scientific Advisory Board
  • America’s Top Doctors
  • Top Doctors, Philadelphia Magazine
  • Inouye Award for Teaching

Publications of Dr. Giorgos Karakousis

  • Kwak, M. et al. (2019, November 26). Characteristics Associated with Pathologic Nodal Burden in Patients Presenting with Clinical Melanoma Nodal Metastasis. Annals of Surgical Oncology.
  • Song, Y. & Karakousis, G.C. (2018, November 27). Melanoma of unknown primary. Surgical Oncology.
  • Neuwirth, M.G. et al. (2017, September 7). Trends in major upper abdominal surgery for cancer in octogenarians: Has there been a change in patient selection? Cancer.