John M. Kane III

MD, FACS
Surgical Oncology
Buffalo Spree Top Doctor 2024

Dr. Kane III is a Buffalo Spree Top Doctor! See all of our physicians who made this year's list.

Top Doctors 2024

Cancers Treated:

Specializing In:

Surgical oncology Soft tissue sarcomas at all anatomic locations: extremity, truncal, intra-abdominal/retroperitoneal, head and neck and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) Melanoma Rare soft tissue and skin tumors Merkel cell carcinoma Cytoreductive/Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) Carcinomatosis, primary peritoneal mesothelioma Isolated regional therapy (Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) and isolated limb infusion (ILI))

About John M. Kane III

Biography:

I am the Chair of Surgical Oncology and Chief of the Melanoma/Sarcoma service at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. My interests in melanoma and sarcoma date back to the beginning of my practice in the year 2000. I am the main soft tissue sarcoma surgeon at Roswell Park and treat soft tissue sarcomas at all anatomic locations; extremity, truncal, intra-abdominal/retroperitoneal, head and neck, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). I am a member of major sarcoma groups including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Sarcoma Panel (Vice Chair), the Connective Tissue Oncology Society, and the Society of Surgical Oncology Sarcoma Disease Site Working Group (Vice Chair). I have been the lead investigator for several sarcoma trials at Roswell Park, have authored multiple papers on the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas, and have been an invited speaker on this topic at national meetings. I oversee our weekly sarcoma/soft tissue tumor multidisciplinary conference where all new sarcoma and rare soft tissue tumor cases are discussed in order to develop the optimal treatment plan.

In addition to sarcomas, I treat unusual benign and locally aggressive soft tissue tumors. These include desmoid/aggressive fibromatosis, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), neurogenic tumors such as neurofibroma and schwannoma, large and atypical intramuscular lipomatous tumors, solitary fibrous tumor, ganglioneuroma, and myelolipoma. As noted above, our weekly multidisciplinary conference allows for a thorough discussion of the patients with these various tumors. In some cases, surgery may not even be necessary.

I also have a significant clinical interest in melanoma and other aggressive cutaneous malignancies such as Merkel cell carcinoma. Roswell Park has been offering melanoma sentinel lymph node biopsy since 1996 and I have personally performed over 600. I have been a co-investigator on the large, international, multi-institutional clinical trials studying melanoma sentinel node biopsy. For patients with nodal metastatic disease, I perform axillary dissections (very different from what is done for breast cancer), superficial and deep groin dissections, and even less common lymphadenectomies in the epitrochlear and popliteal basins. I recently served as the group chair for the “Melanoma” chapter in the American College of Surgeons Operative Standards for Cancer Surgery. I have advanced the regional therapies program at Roswell for patients with isolated extremity disease (in transit melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and some sarcomas) that is no longer amenable to surgical excision. Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) or isolated limb infusion (ILI) can still be potentially curative in these situations. Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of only a few institutions in New York State that performs these isolated regional therapies.

As another type of isolated regional therapy, I developed the cytoreduction/hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) program at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2002. Roswell Park is also one of only a few centers in New York that offers cytoreductive surgery/HIPEC for appendiceal neoplasms, colorectal cancer, mesothelioma, select ovarian cancer cases, and other peritoneal surface malignancies. Although I no longer perform HIPEC as a regular part of my clinical practice, I continue to play an active role in our HIPEC program.

In addition to my clinical responsibilities, I have previously served as the Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program Director and on the Executive Council of the Society of Surgical Oncology. I am a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of multiple surgical and oncologic societies. I have also served as the past president for both the WNY Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and the Buffalo Surgical Society. I was previously the WNY State Chair for the ACS Commission on Cancer.

Positions

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Professor of Oncology
  • Chair, Surgical Oncology
  • Chief, Melanoma/Sarcoma Service, Department of Surgical Oncology

Background

Education and Training:

  • MD - Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

Residency:

  • Resident - Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Fellowship:

  • Research Fellowship - Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Clinical Fellow (SSO approved) - Department of Surgical Oncology - Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY

Board Certification:

  • American Board of Surgery

Professional Memberships:

  • Society of Surgical Oncology
  • Western New York American College of Surgeons
  • NRG Sarcoma working group
  • Buffalo Surgical Society
  • American College of Surgeons (ACS)
  • ACS - Clinical Research Program Cancer Care Standards Development Committee–Melanoma and Sarcoma Disease Sites

Honors & Awards:

  • Buffalo Spree Top Doctors; 2018-2022
  • 2018 - New York State Troopers PBA, Western Region Chandler Award
  • 2017 - University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Gold Humanism Honor Society
  • 2016- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Golden Apple Award for the most outstanding Surgical Oncology faculty educator
  • 2010 - University at Buffalo Department of Surgery, Third Year Resident's Best Educational Surgical Rotation
  • 2009 - Roswell Park Golden Apple Award, for the most outstanding Surgical Oncology faculty educator
  • 2006 - University at Buffalo School of Medicine Commendation for Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2005 - Roswell Park Golden Apple Award, for the most outstanding Surgical Oncology faculty educator
  • 2000 - Roswell Park Holyoke Award for the most outstanding Surgical Oncology fellow

Research

Research Overview:

Clinical Trials
  • Principal Investigator: I 255314 “Tissue Procurement Protocol for the Developmental Therapeutics Clinic, NCI”
  • Principal Investigator: I 215912 (NCI-2012-02231, P30CA016056, NCT01744171)  “A Phase I Trial of a Recombinant Human hsp110 gp100 Chaperone Complex Vaccine for Advanced Stage IIIB/C or Stage IV Melanoma” (closed to accrual).
  • Roswell Park Principal Investigator: PH 47505 “Multicenter Selective Lymphadenectomy Trial II (MSLT II): A Phase III Multicenter Randomized Trial of Sentinel Lymphadenectomy and Complete Lymph Node Dissection Versus Sentinel Lymphadenectomy Alone in Cutaneous Melanoma Patients with Molecular or Histopathological Evidence of Metastases in the Sentinel Node (closed to accrual).
Invited International
  • Invited Talk: Standardization of HIPEC –Indications. Fifth International Symposium on Regional Cancer Therapies, Carolina, Puerto Rico, February 20 – 22, 2010
  • Workshop entitled “Establishing a Regional Therapy Program”. Second International Symposium on Regional Cancer Therapies. San Juan, Puerto Rico; February 25, 2007
  • Invited Moderator-Second International Symposium on Regional Cancer Therapies. San Juan, Puerto Rico; February 25, 2007
  • Talk entitled “Current Concepts in Surgical Management of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis: Who & What?” at the Canadian Association of General Surgeons. Montreal, Canada; September 9, 2005
Invited National
  • Invited speaker: 15th Annual UNC Conference on Melanoma and Complex Skin Cancers: A Multidisciplinary Perspective, topic: The Role of Surgery in the Melanoma Immunotherapy Era, Chapel Hill, NC, April 28-29, 2022

  • Invited moderator: HIPEC Outcomes/Survival. Society of Surgical Oncology International Conference on Surgical Cancer Care, Boston, MA, August 17-19, 2020

  • Invited Presentation entitled “Management of The Clinically Negative, But Sentinel Node Positive Nodal Basin for Melanoma.” American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, San Francisco, CA, October 29, 2019.

  • Invited Talk. Grand Rounds. Montefiore Medical Center, New York City, April 5, 2018

  • Invited moderator: Melanoma Poster Grand Rounds, Society of Surgical Oncology 71st Annual Cancer Symposium, Chicago, IL, March 21-24, 2018

  • Invited talk entitled “Melanoma: Oncologic Standards of Surgery.” American College of Surgeons, Clinical Congress. San Diego, CA, October 22-26, 2017

  • Invited moderator, 12th International Regional Therapies Meeting, Snowbird, UT, February 18, 2017

  • Invited talk entitled “Melanoma Musings.” Goshen Cancer Center. Goshen, IN, December 5, 2016

  • Invited talk entitled “The Suspicious Soft Tissue Mass” Department of Surgery grand rounds. Lehigh Valley Hospital. Allentown, PA, September 13, 2016

  • Invited moderator: Sarcoma and Thoracic/Esophageal Parallel Session, Society of Surgical Oncology 69th Annual Cancer Symposium, Boston MA, March 2-5, 2016

  • Invited debate moderator: Repeat CRS/HIPEC for Patients Who Recur within Two Years?, 11th International Regional Therapies Meeting, Chandler, AZ, February 2016

  • Invited Talk entitled “The Suspicious Soft Tissue Mass,” Grand Rounds at Greenville Health System, Greenville SC; April 24, 2015

  • Invited Panel Discussion: “Soft Tissue Sarcoma Tumor Board: A Case-Based Discussion of Ongoing Controversies,” Society of Surgical Oncology 68th Annual Cancer Symposium, Houston, TX, March 26, 2015

  • Invited Talk entitled “Melanoma in Women: A Different Cancer Biology,” 5th Annual Melanoma Symposium, Maryland Melanoma Center, Baltimore, MD, February 27, 2015

Invited Regional
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Evaluation of Suspicious Soft Tissue Masses”. Catholic Health, Sisters of Charity Hospital, Buffalo, NY, May 22, 2012
  • Talk entitled “Management of Melanoma in Pregnancy” Breast & Gynecologic Cancers: 2009 Update. Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, September 26, 2009
  • Talk entitled “Melanoma”. UB Family Medicine Residency lecture. Buffalo, NY; May 1, 2008
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Cytoreductive Surgery and Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemoperfusion for the Treatment of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies”. UB Department of Surgery Grand Rounds. Buffalo, NY; April 3, 2008
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Cytoreductive Surgery and Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemoperfusion for the Treatment of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies”. Roswell Park Surgical Oncology Grand Rounds. Buffalo, NY; September 12, 2007
  • Talk entitled “Current Surgical Therapy for Melanoma” Advances in Melanoma Symposium. Buffalo, NY; June 17, 2006
  • Talk entitled “Regional Multimodality Therapy for Carcinomatosis” Wisconsin Surgical Club-UB meeting. Buffalo, NY; May 2006
  • Talk entitled “Advances in the Treatment of GIST” Cayuga Medical Center Tumor Board. Ithaca, NY; July 13, 2005
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Advances in the Treatment of GIST” University at Buffalo Community Surgeons. Buffalo, NY; January 29, 2005
  • Talk entitled “Staging and Surgical Therapy for Primary and Recurrent GIST”. Optimal Management of Patients with GIST-NCCN Update-Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; November 6, 2004
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Advances in the Treatment of Sarcomas” WCA Hospital. Jamestown, NY; September 29, 2004
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Advances in the Treatment of Carcinomatosis” Millard Gates Hospital. Buffalo, NY; April 5, 2004
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Advances in the Treatment of Sarcomas” Olean General Hospital. Olean, NY; August 13, 2003
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Advances in the Treatment of Carcinomatosis” Mercy Hospital. Buffalo, NY; February 12, 2003
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Advances in the Treatment of Sarcomas” Millard Gates Hospital. Buffalo, NY; January 6, 2003
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Advances in the Treatment of Melanoma” WCA Hospital. Jamestown, NY; October 30, 2002
  • Grand Rounds entitled “Advances in the Treatment of Melanoma” Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. Niagara Falls, NY; October 9, 2002

Featured on Cancer Talk


Publications

Full Publications list on PubMed

1. Wach MM, Subjeck JR, Wang XY, Repasky E, Matsuzaki J, Yu H, Wang C, Fisher D, Skitzki JJ, Kane JM 3rd. Recombinant human Hsp110-gp100 chaperone complex vaccine is nontoxic and induces response in advanced stage melanoma patients. 2022, April 1. PMID:35254331

2. Peng JS, LaPiano J, Wang K, Attwood K, Skitzki JJ, Kane JM 3rd, Francescutti VA. Restrictive Intraoperative Fluid Rate is Associated with Improved Outcomes in Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. 2021, August 12. PMID: 34383185.

3. Salerno K, Alektiar A, Baldini E, Bedi M, Bishop A, Bradenfield L, Chung P, DeLaney T, Folpe A,Kane JM 3rd, Li X, Petersen I, Powell J, Stolten M, Thorpe S, Trent J, Voermans M, Guadagnolo A. Radiation therapy for treatment of soft tissue sarcoma in adults: executive summary of an ASTRA clinical practice guideline. 2021 July. Practical Radiation Oncology.

4. Francescutti VA, Skitzki JJ, Kane JM 3rd, Simunovic M. Barriers to Referral for CS/HIPEC Identified Using a Tailoring Grid Methodology: Interview with Stakeholders in New York State. 2021, June 19. PMID: 34157492

5. Chowdhry V, Kane JM 3rd, Wang K, Joyce D, Grand’Maison A, Mann G. Testicular, Spermatic Cord, and Scrotal Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Treatment Outcomes and Patterns of Failure. 2021 March. PMID: 33746565

6. von Mehren M, Kane JM 3rd, Bui MM, Choy E, Connelly M, Dry S, Ganjoo KN, George S, Gonzalez RJ, Heslin MJ, Homsi J, Keedy V, Kelly CM, Kim E, Liebner D, McCarter M, McGarry SV, Meyer C, Pappo AS, Parkes AM, Paz IB, Petersen IA, Poppe M, Riedel RF, Rubin B, Schuetze S, Shabason J, Sicklick JK, Spraker MB, Zimel M, Bergman MA, George GV. NCCN Guidelines Insights: Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Version 1.2021. 2020, December 2. PMID: 32285515

7. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Palliative care considerations. 2020 June. PMID: 32282059

8. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies:Standards. 2020, June 1. PMID 33282066

9. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies:Management of neuroendocrine tumors. 2020, June 1. PMID: 32282069

10. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of colorectal metastases. 2020, June1. PMID 32282070

11. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of desmoplastic small round cell tumor, breast and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. 2020, June 1. PMID: 32282072

12. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of appendiceal neoplasms. 2020, June 1. PMID: 32282073

13. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of peritoneal mesothelioma. 2020, June 1. PMID: 32282077

14. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of gastric metastases. 2020, June 1. PMID: 32282074.

15. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of gastric metastases. 2020, June 27. PMID: 32285269

16. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of ovarian neoplasms. 2020, June 27. PMID: 32285272

17. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Palliative care considerations. 2020, June 27. PMID: 32285271

18. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of peritoneal mesothelioma. 2020, June 27. PMID: 32285273

19. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of neuroendocrine tumors. 2020, June 27. PMID: 32285274

20. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of appendiceal neoplasms. 2020, June 27. PMID: 32285275

21. Chicago Consensus Working Group. The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Standards. 2020, June 27. PMID 32285275