award-winning care
Dr. Bratslavsky with Mr. Churakov on YNN
Russian man travels to Syracuse for care from “highly skilled people” Two Upstate department chairs were featured on the local news station, YNN, for taking care of a man who travels to Syracuse from Russia for cancer treatment.
Fassil B. Mesfin MD, PhD
Yuri Churakov’s son, Alexei, told reporter Kat De Maria they chose Upstate after researching the best methods and places to treat his father’s kidney tumors, which have spread to his lungs and brain. “We are in the hands of highly skilled people, and we trust them,” he said. Gennady Bratslavsky MD, chair, Urology, explained that Churakov’s care requires a multidisciplinary approach. The Churakovs were in Syracuse in early June for the first step, using the gamma knife to eliminate his brain tumor.
Welcome to new spine surgeon Dr. Bogart
“The goal is to kill off the tumor with very intense radiotherapy,” said Jeffrey Bogart MD, chair, Radiation Oncology. The Churakovs are expected to return to Syracuse for additional care. ■
Fassil B. Mesfin MD, PhD, a new assistant professor of neurosurgery, has been appointed Director of Complex Spine and Spine Oncology. Mesfin’s medical degree and doctorate in molecular biology are from Albany Medical College. For his doctoral thesis he studied anti-cancer drug design and development, and he holds four patents. After his residency at Albany Medical Center Hospital, Mesfin completed his fellowship in neurosurgical spine oncology, including complex spine and stereotactic radiosurgery training, at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The Gamma Knife
Up s tat e C on n e ct
Mesfin has published research throughout his training in journals including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of Neurosurgery, and Neurosurgery. ■
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