Expertise:
Cytoreductive Surgery
HIPEC
Speciality:
Surgical Oncology
Gender:
Female
Language:
English

Get to Know Dr. Jennifer Gnerlich

Dr. Jennifer Gnerlich specializes in treating abdominal cancers with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, a novel combination that has extended survival dramatically for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, also known as HIPEC, is a mesothelioma treatment first pioneered by legendary surgeon Dr. Paul Sugarbaker.

Gnerlich brought her innovative approach to therapy to the Inova Schar Cancer Institute in 2020 after serving at the LSU Healthcare Network in New Orleans and Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.

She has focused on gastrointestinal cancers such as liver, stomach, pancreas and bile duct.  She also handles appendiceal tumors and peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

Gnerlich has become known for her personalized approach in treating cancer patients. She takes the doctor-patient relationship seriously, particularly the setting-expectations conversation she has with each one.

“The human connection has to be there,” she said. “They [patients] don’t care that I’m board certified. They want to know that I understand where they’re coming from, and what they value in life.”

Specialties of Dr. Jennifer Gnerlich

  • Cytoreductive surgery
  • HIPEC
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Peritoneal mesothelioma
  • Liver cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Stomach cancer

Dr. Jennifer Gnerlich’s Experience and Medical Education

  • Inova Schar Cancer Institute
  • LSU Healthcare Network
  • Loyola University Medical Center
  • Presence Saint Joseph Hospital
  • University of Chicago Medical Center (Fellowship)
  • Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine (Residency)
  • University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine (M.D.)

Awards and Certifications

  • Board certified in general surgery
  • Board certified in complex general surgical oncology
  • ACS Fellow
  • Healthgrades Honor Roll

Publications of Dr. Jennifer Gnerlich

  • Chu, Q. et al. (2020, July). Do rural patients with operable breast cancer fare worse than urban patients in Louisiana? Results of the Louisiana cancer consortium. Surgery.
  • Turner, K. & Gnerlich, J.L. (2019, January 24). ASO Author Reflections: Role of SOX9 Transcription Factor in Pancreatic Neoplasms. Annals of Surgical Oncology.
  • Gnerlich, J.L. et al. (2014, April 21). Utilization of radiotherapy for malignant phyllodes tumors: analysis of the National Cancer Data Base, 1998-2009. Annals of Surgical Oncology.
  • Gnerlich, J. et al. (2008, November-December). Patient and tumor characteristics associated with primary tumor resection in women with Stage IV breast cancer: analysis of 1988-2003 SEER data. The Breast Journal.