Pankaj K. Agarwalla, MD

Pankaj K. Agarwalla, MD specializes in cranial neurosurgery and high-level complex cranial neurosurgical care with the latest treatments and clinical trials. As one of the co-founders of the Brain and Spine Tumor Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute at University Hospital, working with a multidisciplinary team to provide the most advanced, individualized and appropriate care for each patient’s unique case. Dr. Agarwalla sees patients with all cranial conditions including brain tumors, gliomas, metastatic tumors, skull base lesions (meningiomas, pituitary tumors, acoustic neuromas/vestibular schwannomas, craniopharygiomas, chordomas), and vascular lesions including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), moyamoya disease, and carotid stenosis. He also manages peripheral nerve sheath tumors and patients with cerebrospinal fluid disorders. Dr. Agarwalla utilizes innovative surgical techniques including endoscope-assisted neurosurgery and cerebrovascular bypass. He also specializes in radiosurgery with both CyberKnife and Gamma Knife, taking into account non-surgical options in a patient’s treatment plan. His passion for research emphasizes clinical trials in neurosurgical oncology and functional genomics of brain tumors. He and a team of researchers are developing protocols for tissue/blood collection to study the biology of tumors in the laboratory. They also have a growing clinical trial presence including a targeted therapy trial for papillary craniopharyngiomas, for which he serves as the site lead investigator.

Philosophy of Care:

Surgery is only one part of a larger answer; targeted therapies, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation therapy can be just as important. This multi-disciplinary approach is central for patients with brain and spine tumors.

Clinical Interests:

Glioblastomas, Oligodendroglioma, Astrocytoma, Metastatic Brain Tumors, Skull base tumors including acoustic neuromas, pituitary tumors, meningiomas, clival lesions, and jugular foramen lesions