Matthew Porembka, M.D.

Meet Dr. Porembka

Surgical Oncologist in Dallas

Surgical oncologist Matthew Porembka, M.D., serves as the quarterback on the medical team for his patients with liver, pancreas, stomach, or bile duct cancers. The entire team works together to make decisions, but Dr. Porembka takes special pride in guiding his patients through their treatment process and beyond.

Dr. Porembka is at the forefront of the newest advancements in treating cancer and providing personalized cancer care, which includes extracting a tumor, analyzing it for genetic changes, and targeting highly specific treatment based on the mutations. This personalized treatment is a leading-edge method of care that was developed nearly a decade ago but in some ways is still in its infancy.

“We have learned a lot of information about genetic changes found in different cancers through projects like the Cancer Genome Atlas,” he says. “The challenge now is finding the optimal way to use this information in our patients to obtain the best outcomes.”

Because of the complexity of cancer, Dr. Porembka also focuses on helping patients understand what to expect from their treatment and answering any questions they may have.

“My relationship with patients doesn’t end when they get better from their surgery. I’m there to help with care coordination, surveillance, and dealing with any issues that come up later,” he says.

“When patients leave my office, I want them to feel like they can focus on themselves and their families because we are taking care of everything else.”

Fellowship-trained in tumor immunology and complex general surgical oncology, Dr. Porembka is also a Dedman Family Scholar in Clinical Care, an endowed program focused on bringing talented clinician-scientists to UT Southwestern early in their careers.

With the program’s funding, Dr. Porembka centers his research on stomach cancer (also known as gastric cancer) to better characterize tumors and personalize treatment.