Rupen A Shah, MD, FACS

Member of the Henry Ford Cancer Institute 

Biographical Statement

Rupen A. Shah, MD, is a Senior Staff Surgical Oncologist and Director of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program at the Henry Ford Cancer Institute, Henry Ford Hospital, where he also serves as General Surgery Residency Program Director and Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at Wayne State University School of Medicine & Michigans State University College of Human Medicine. Dr. Shah is one of a select group of surgeons in the United States with specialized expertise in cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for cancers involving the lining of the abdomen, including appendix cancer, colorectal peritoneal metastases, peritoneal mesothelioma, and pseudomyxoma peritonei. He additionally has a special interest and focus on the management of neuroendocrine tumors and pancreaticobiliary neoplasms. Dr. Shah completed his surgical training at Henry Ford Hospital followed by a fellowship in Complex General Surgical Oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and is board certified by the American Board of Surgery in both General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology, with fellowship designations from the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and the Society of Surgical Oncology (FSSO).

A nationally recognized leader in peritoneal surface malignancies, Dr. Shah is a co-author of the 2025 PSM Consortium Consensus Guidelines — a landmark collaborative effort establishing evidence-based standards of care for peritoneal cancers. He is an active member of national professional societies including the Society of Surgical Oncology, American College of Surgeons and North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) and participates in national committees advancing both surgical oncology and graduate medical education. His research interests include clinical outcomes in peritoneal disease, frailty and perioperative outcomes and advanced imaging in peritoneal staging. As Program Director of Henry Ford's General Surgery Residency, Dr. Shah is equally committed to training the next generation of surgeons through competency-based education and resident mentorship.

Titles

• Director, Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program
• Director, General Surgery Residency Program, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit

Care Philosophy

"My goal is to ensure that every patient facing a complex cancer diagnosis has access to the most advanced surgical options and the clearest possible understanding of their choices — because great cancer care means treating the whole person, not just the disease."

Research Interests

Dr. Shah's research focuses on advancing the surgical management of peritoneal surface malignancies, with particular emphasis on optimizing patient selection and outcomes for cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). His work has contributed to national consensus-building efforts, including co-authorship of the 2025 PSM Consortium Consensus Guidelines, and to the development of standardized educational curricula for peritoneal surface malignancy training across surgical oncology programs nationwide.

His current research interests include novel regional therapy for patients with advanced peritoneal disease, the role of advanced imaging in peritoneal disease staging and treatment planning, and the use of large national databases to evaluate perioperative outcomes in complex oncologic surgery. He is also actively engaged in research at the intersection of surgical oncology and graduate medical education, exploring competency-based training frameworks for complex surgical procedures.

Awards & Honors

• Vernon F. Strand Intern Teacher of the Year Award
• Joseph L. Ponka Teacher of the Year Award