Andrew M. Evens, DO

I am thrilled to be a member of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) as the Associate Director for Clinical Services, Medical Director of the Oncology Service Line for RWJBarnabas Health, and Director of the Lymphoma Program. Rutgers Cancer Institute is unique in that it is New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Our mission is to deliver integrated cancer care across the health system with access to academic expertise and innovative cancer therapies not available elsewhere in the state.

I completed a prior fellowship in hematology/oncology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chicago, Illinois, where I also remained as a faculty member altogether for 10 years. Most recently, I served as the director of the Cancer Center at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, chief of their division of hematology/oncology, and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.

My clinical expertise and research interests are fully dedicated to the field of lymphoma (i.e., Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma). Over the past 15+ years, I have been the principal investigator of more than 80 national and international cancer clinical trials that have included phase I, II, and III studies, many which have been “investigator-initiated” trials studying new and novel targeted agents for the treatment of lymphoid malignancies. In addition to my clinical research, I also manage a translational laboratory studying the biology of lymphoma and to discover new and novel treatments for patients. Collectively, my research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the NCI since 2005. This has resulted in 200+ research abstracts at national and international cancer research symposiums, 150+ manuscripts in peer-reviewed publications, and 20+ book chapters all with an emphasis on the biology, prognosis, and treatment of lymphoma.

My involvement in the advancement of cancer research has also included leadership roles in academic journals, symposiums, cancer advocacy groups, and international committees. I was an associate editor for the British Journal of Haematology and on the editorial board for the Journal of Clinical Oncology and am the inaugural editor in chief for the open access journal, eJHaem. I am a core member of the Hodgkin Lymphoma Working Group for the NIH/NCI Steering Committee and I have been a member of several additional clinical and scientific committees for the NIH, NCI, Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the ECOG/ACRIN group. Furthermore, I am Co-Chair of the Lymphoma Committee for the ECOG-ACRIN cancer research group and am honored to be an elected member of the North American Scientific Advisory Board for the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) and a member of the Board of Trustees for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) New Jersey Chapter. Finally, I am involved and help lead a multitude of regional, national, and international educational forums and events.

Rutgers Cancer Institute has a rich history of conducting innovative and groundbreaking cancer research and offers, together with RWJBarnabas Health, unparalleled knowledge, clinical care and resources for cancer patients and their families close to home. I am honored to be a member of the Rutgers Cancer Institute and a leader of the RWJBH oncology service line working alongside the multitude of outstanding cancer providers providing exceptional and compassionate care throughout the state of New Jersey.

I am also affiliated with RWJ University Hospital.

Philosophy of Care Statement:

My philosophy of care is patient-centered and highly individualized. It is critical to examine all possible therapeutic options and to identify the most innovative and effective treatment for each individual patient. Furthermore, it is also essential to surround the patient and their family with as many resources as possible (e.g., nursing, nutrition, social services, etc) to help support them throughout their cancer journey. In addition, close collaboration of care with the primary care provider and all other physicians/experts involved in the patients care- working as a cohesive team is important in optimizing outcomes for every patient.

Awards and Honors:

• Jersey's Best, Top Doctors In Cancer Care (2020)
• New Jersey Top Doctor in Cancer Care (2019)
• Top Doctor, Boston Magazine (2017 and 2018)
• Advisory Panel to Vice President Joseph Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, Washington, DC
• Elected Member, Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF)
• Teaching Attending of the Year, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University
• Compassionate Care Award, The Woman’s Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Press Items:

Researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute evaluated the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on various environmental surfaces and found extremely low detection of SARS-CoV-2 on across multiple outpatient and inpatient oncology areas, including an active COVID-19 floor. Learn more

Rutgers Cancer Institute announced the publication of research that has identified and validated the novel Burkitt Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (BL-IPI) in patients with this rare, high-grade B-cell lymphoma that is often studied in trials with small sample sizes. Read more

In recognition of Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey hosted a Twitter chat to discuss the basics of blood cancers, treatment amid COVID-19, and ongoing research in the field. Read the recap here.

Dr. Evens shares more about the new HoLISTIC consortium that contributed to the basis of Hodgkin lymphoma work being presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting being held virtually this year. Read more

Dr. Evens discusses his treatment of newly diagnosed classical Hodgkin Lymphoma in this blog. Read more

Dr. Evens recaps his presentation from the ASH Annual Hematologic Malignancies Conference where he spoke about how he treats newly‑diagnosed, classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Watch here

In The News

Dr. Andrew Evens discusses the new prognostic indicator for Burkitt lymphoma in a recent interview with Check Rare. Learn more

Useful Links:

Leukemia/Lymphoma/Hematologic Malignancies Program

Blood and Marrow Transplant Program

East Tower Location

Cardio-Oncology Program

Dr. Evens Research Profile