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Peter D Cole MD

Peter D. Cole, MD

  • Hematology | Pediatric-Hematology/Oncology | Pediatrics
  • Member of RWJBH Medical Group
Languages Spoken English
  • At A Glance
  • Education & Publications
  • Bio

    I am delighted to return to the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey as Embrace Kids Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. I am also a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, as well as being affiliated with Monmouth Medical Center. Our Division is committed to providing outstanding care to children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer and blood disorders. My vision is for us to continue to advance the field through a combination of laboratory and clinical research, making treatments more successful and less toxic for our pediatric patients.

    My perspective is shaped by my prior experiences and training. I studied medicine at Weill Cornell College of Medicine and completed my residency training in pediatrics at Mount Sinai Medical Center. My fellowship training in pediatric hematology and oncology was at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. While there, I also trained in laboratory science, working in molecular pharmacology under the mentorship of Joseph R. Bertino, MD.

    My research efforts remain focused on developing new treatments to improve the lives of children and adolescents with blood disorders and cancer. My laboratory, funded by the National Institutes of Health, investigates why some patients suffer side effects of cancer treatment, while others do not. We have identified common genetic variants and specific dietary factors that increase the risk of experiencing side effects of anticancer therapies. In addition, we are working to develop interventions to reduce specific side effects, such as the loss of short-term memory or attention span (symptoms of “chemo brain”).

    Clinically, I have been actively involved on a global level, in designing and conducting clinical trials for children diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma, through my leadership or advisory roles in a number of cooperative groups, including the Dana Farber Cancer Institute Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Consortium; The Consorcio Latinoamericano de Enfermedades Hemato-Oncológicas Pediátricas; the Indian Pediatric Oncology Group; and the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). I am the vice-chair for COG’s Hodgkin lymphoma committee, and have led multiple COG clinical trials testing innovative, targeted combination therapy for adolescents and young adults with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.

    In all these efforts, my approach with patients and families remains heavily influenced by my mentor when I previously worked at Rutgers Cancer Institute from 1999-2007, Barton Kamen, MD, PhD. Bart taught me that we must not ever think that our job is to only treat diseases like cancer or blood disorders. On the contrary, our mission is to provide compassionate care to people -- people who happen to have serious diseases, who deserve a holistic approach to address the impact of the disease on their lives, and the lives of their families. Acknowledging that our current treatment approaches are imperfect, we have the obligation to endeavor to continue our research so that the next generation can experience even better outcomes.

    Board Certification:

    American Board of Pediatrics, October, 1996; Renewed, November 2002.

    American Board of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Nov., 2000; Renewed Nov. 2017.

    Honors and Awards:

    Clinical Research Training Program Mentor of the Year, June 2012

    Henry L. Moses award for best clinical paper, 2009

    Neal Perkell Fellow in Pediatric Oncology, 1997 - 1998

    Kurt Hirschorn MD Award for Academic Excellence, May 1996

    Clarence C Coryell Prize in Medicine, May 1993

    Alpha Omega Alpha, May 1993

    Related Articles
    Clinical Interests

    Pediatric cancer; leukemia; lymphoma, and clinical trials

  • College

    Cornell University BS in Neurobiology and Behavior - 1989
    Ithica, NY

    Medical School

    Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY, 1993 - 1993
    Ithica, NY

    Internship

    Mount Sinai Medical Center - 1994
    New York, NY

    Residency

    Mount Sinai Medical Center - 1996
    New York, NY

    Fellowship

    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center & The New York Hospital - 1999
    New York, NY

    Publications
    • Title:Methotrexate causes persistent deficits in memory and executive function in a juvenile animal model
      Authors:Wen J, Maxwell RR, Wolf AJ, Spira M, Gulinello ME, Cole PD
      Publisher:Neuropharmacology
      Date:2018
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Brentuximab vedotin with Gemcitabine for Pediatric and Young Adult Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Children’s Oncology Group, Single-arm, Phase 1 / 2 Trial
      Authors:Cole PD, McCarten KM, Pei Q, Spira M, Metzger ML, Drachtman RA, Horton TM, Bush R, Blaney SM, Weigel BJ, Kelly KM
      Publisher:The Lancet Oncology 2018
      Date:2018
      Issue:9
      Description:
    • Title:Refining Risk Classification in Childhood B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Results of DFCI ALL Consortium Protocol 05-001
      Authors:Vrooman LM, Blonquist TM, Harris MH, Stevenson KE, Place AE, Hunt SK, O’Brien JE, Asselin BL, Athale UH, Clavell LA, Cole PD, Kelly KM, Laverdiere C, Leclerc J-M, Michon B, Schorin MA, Sulis ML, Welch JJG, Neuberg DS, Sallan SE, Silverman LB
      Publisher:Blood Advances
      Date:2018
      Issue:12
      Description:
    • Title:Prognostic Impact of Kinase-Activating Fusions and IKZF1 Gene Deletions in Pediatric High-Risk B-Lineage ALL
      Authors:Tran TH, Harris MH, Nguyen JV, Blonquist TM, Stevenson KE, Stonerock E, Asselin BL, Athale UH, Clavell LA, Cole PD, Kelly KM, Laverdiere C, Leclerc J-M, Michon B, Schorin MA, Welch JJG, Reshmi S, Neuberg DS, Sallan SE, Loh ML, Silverman, LB
      Publisher:Blood Advances
      Date:2018
      Issue:5
      Description:
    • Title:Effectiveness of Antibacterial Prophylaxis during Induction Chemotherapy in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
      Authors:Sulis ML, Blonquist TM, Athale UH, Clavell LA, Cole PD, Kelly KM, Laverdiere C, Leclerc JM, Michon B, Schorin MA, Welch JG, Neuberg DS, Sallan SE and Silverman LB
      Publisher:Pediatric Blood and Cancer
      Date:2018
      Issue:5
      Description:
    • Title:An investigation of toxicities and survival in Hispanic children and adolescents with ALL: Results from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium protocol 05-001
      Authors:Kahn JM, Cole PD, Blonquist TM, Stevenson K, Jin Z, Barrera S, Davila R, Roberts E, Neuberg DS, Athale UH, Clavel LA, Laverdiere C, Leclerc J-M, Michon B, Schorin MA, Welch JJG, Sallan SE, Silverman LB, Kelly KM
      Publisher:Pediatric Blood and Cancer
      Date:2017
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Liposomal Cytarabine Induces Less Neurocognitive Dysfunction than Intrathecal Methotrexate in an Animal Model
      Authors:Thomsen AM, Gulinello ME, Vijayanathan V, Wen J, Schmiegelow K, Cole PD
      Publisher:Journal of Pediatric Hematology / Oncology
      Date:2017
      Issue:2
      Description:
    • Title:Pharmacogenetic Predictors of Treatment-Related Toxicity among Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
      Authors:Maxwell RR, Cole PD
      Publisher:Current Hematologic Malignancy Reports
      Date:2017
      Issue:3
      Description:
    • Title:A Thymidylate Synthase Polymorphism is Associated with Increased Risk for Bone Toxicity Among Children Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
      Authors:Finkelstein Y, Blonquist TM, Vijayanathan V, Stevenson KE, Neuberg DS, Silverman LB, Vrooman LM, Sallan SE, Cole PD
      Publisher:Pediatric Blood & Cancer
      Date:2017
      Issue:7
      Description:
    • Title:Feasibility of Baseline Neurocognitive Assessment using Cogstate During the First Month of Therapy for Childhood Leukemia
      Authors:Sands SA, Harel BT, Savone M, Kelly K, Vijayanathan V, Welch JG, Vrooman L, Silverman LB, Cole PD
      Publisher:Supportive Care in Cancer
      Date:2016
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:How variable is our delivery of information? A survey of medical providers assessing provider-driven patient teaching about oral chemotherapy regimens for pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
      Authors:Kahn J, Athale, UH, Clavell LA, Cole PD, Leclerc J-M, Laverdiere C, Michon B, Schorin MA, Welch JG, Sallan SE, Silverman LB, Kelly KM
      Publisher:Journal of Pediatric Health Care
      Date:2016
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:The Diet and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment (DALLT) Cohort Study: Rationale, Design, and Baseline Characteristics
      Authors:Ladas EJ, Orjuela M, Stevenson K, Cole PD, Lin M, Athale UH, Clavell LA, Leclerc J-M, Michon B, Schorin MA, Welch JG, Asselin B, Sallan S, Silverman LB, Kelly KM
      Publisher:Nutrition
      Date:2016
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi as a component of a multi-agent chemotherapeutic regimen for the treatment of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have developed hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived asparaginase
      Authors:Figueiredo L, Cole PD, Drachtman RA
      Publisher:Expert Rev Hematol
      Date:2016
      Issue:3
      Description:
    • Title:Long-term outcomes for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated on the Cancer Institute of New Jersey ALL trial (CINJALL)
      Authors:Drachtman RA, Masterson M, Shenkerman A, Vijayanathan V, Cole PD
      Publisher:Leukemia and Lymphoma 2016
      Date:2016
      Issue:10
      Description:
    • Title:Predictors of thrombosis in children receiving therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL): Results from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) ALL Consortium trial 05-001. Pediatric Blood & Cancer.
      Authors:Athale UH, Flamand Y, Blonquist T, Steveson KE, Spira M, Asselin BL, Clavell LA, Cole PD, Kelly KM, Laverdiere C, Leclerc J-M, Michon B, Schorin MA, Welch JJG, Harris MH, Neuberg DS, Sallan SE, Silverman LB.
      Publisher:
      Date:2022
      Issue:
      Description:2022; 00e29581. https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.29581
    • Title:Durable remission for four pediatric patients with high-risk relapsed classical Hodgkin lymphoma treated with Brentuximab vedotin plus Gemcitabine but without autologous stem cell transplantation: a report from the Children’s Oncology Group.
      Authors:Buhtoiarov IN, Mba N, Sandos CD, McCarten KM, Metzger ML, Pei Q, Bush R, Baker K, Kelly KM, Cole PD.
      Publisher:
      Date:2022
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Patterns of Initial Relapse from a Phase 3 Study of Response-Based Therapy for High-Risk Hodgkin Lymphoma (AHOD0831): A Report from the Children’s Oncology Group.
      Authors:Parikh RR, Kelly KM, Hodgson DC, Hoppe BS, McCarten KM, Pei Q, Cho SY, Schwartz C, Cole PD, Roberts K.
      Publisher:
      Date:2021
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Well-being of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Providers and Staff During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the New York and New Jersey Epicenter.
      Authors:Moerdler S, Steinberg D, Jin Z, Cole P, Levy A, Rosenthal S.
      Publisher:
      Date:2021
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:LAG-3 is expressed on a majority of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma, Leukemia & Lymphoma
      Authors:Scott Moerdler, Michelle Ewart, Debra L. Friedman, Kara Kelly, Qinglin Pei, Mou Peng, XingXing Zang & Peter D.
      Publisher:
      Date:2020
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Severe vincristine-related neurotoxicity in five patients with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia requiring discontinuation of vincristine: a description of long-term outcome
      Authors:Egan-Sherry D, Bhuta R, Cole PD, Gennarini LM, Kahn JM, Sulis ML, DeNardo BD, Welch JJG.
      Publisher:
      Date:2021
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Associations between Race and Overall Survival in Pediatric Patients with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma
      Authors:Khullar K, Plascak JJ, Drachtman R, Cole, PD, Parikh RR.
      Publisher:
      Date:2021
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Associations between Race and Overall Survival in Pediatric Patients with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma
      Authors:Khullar K, Plascak JJ, Drachtman R, Cole, PD, Parikh RR.
      Publisher:
      Date:2021
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Biomarkers of Cognitive Impairment in Pediatric Cancer Survivors. Journal of Clinical Oncology
      Authors:Williams AM and Cole PD
      Publisher:
      Date:2021
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Identification of Prognostic Factors in Childhood T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Results from DFCI ALL Consortium Protocols
      Authors:Burns MA, Place AE, Stevenson KE, Gutiérrez A, Forrest S, Vrooman LM, Harris MH, Weinberg OK, Hunt SK, O’Brien JE, Asselin BL, Athale UH, Clavell LA, Cole PD, Gennarini LM, Kahn JM, Kelly KM, Laverdierre C, Leclerc J-M, Michon B, Schorin MA, Sulis ML, Welc
      Publisher:
      Date:2021
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:Efficacy and Toxicity of Pegaspargase and Calaspargase Pegol in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma
      Authors:Vrooman LM, Blonquist TM, Stevenson KE, Supko JG, Hunt SK, Cronholm SM, Koch V, Kay-Green S, Athale UH, Clavell LA, Cole PD, Harris MH, Kelly KM, Laverdiere C, Leclerc J-M, Michon B, Place AE, Schorin MA, Welch JJG, Neuberg DS, Sallan SE, Silverman LB.
      Publisher:
      Date:2021
      Issue:
      Description:
    • Title:The protective effects of dietary intake of antioxidants and treatment-related toxicity in childhood leukemia: A Report from the DALLT Cohort
      Authors:Ladas EJ, Blonquist TM, Puligandla M, Orjuela M, Stevenson K, Cole PD, Athale UH, Clavell LA, Leclerc J-M, Laverdiere C, Michon B, Schorin MA, Welch JG, Asselin BL, Sallan SE, Silverman LB, Kelly KM
      Publisher:
      Date:2020
      Issue:
      Description: