About
Physician, scientist,
mentor.
Department of Oncology
Jagiellonian University Medical College
Clinical Department of Oncology
University Hospital in Kraków
PTOK
President, 2015–2023
A board-certified medical oncologist, Prof. Piotr Wysocki heads the Department of Oncology at Jagiellonian University Medical College and the Clinical Department of Oncology at University Hospital in Kraków. He served as President of the Polish Society of Clinical Oncology from 2015 to 2023. He graduated from the Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences in Poznań.
He is the author of more than 200 scientific publications and numerous textbook chapters. He has received fellowships and scholarships from, among others, the City of Poznań, the Foundation for Polish Science, and the POLITYKA weekly scholarship program. His distinctions include the Prime Minister’s Award, the Minister of Health’s Award, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) International Development and Education Award (IDEA).
He completed fellowships at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, and Princess Margaret Hospital at the University of Toronto, Canada. He has been included on multiple occasions in “Lista Stu,” Puls Medycyny’s ranking of the most influential figures in Polish medicine.
A particular focus of his clinical practice is the management of highly complex and treatment-refractory cancers, especially in heavily pretreated patients who have exhausted standard therapeutic options. His expertise includes the management of rapidly progressive malignancies, patients at risk of impending organ failure or visceral crisis, and those whose compromised organ function significantly limits the use of conventional anticancer therapies. He also focuses on the care of frail older patients for whom standard treatment approaches may be unsuitable because of reduced physiological reserves, comorbidities, or limited treatment tolerance. In these challenging clinical situations, he develops individualized, multidrug treatment strategies aimed at achieving disease control despite extensive prior treatment, complex resistance mechanisms, and significant clinical constraints.
Clinical interests
Breast and genitourinary cancers, with a broader focus on aggressive and treatment-refractory solid tumors, as well as oncology care for adolescents and young adults (AYA), older adults, and patients with frailty.
Research interests
Novel systemic treatment strategies—including immunotherapy, metronomic chemotherapy, and combined chemotherapy and endocrine therapy—for breast, prostate, lung, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers. Development of individualized multidrug treatment regimens for highly resistant cancers, designed to address multiple mechanisms of treatment resistance while minimizing toxicity and accommodating impaired organ function. Individualizing chemotherapy based on genetic and molecular analyses.
Academic and Professional Career
1997
Research fellowship, Department of Molecular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, USA.
2000
Graduated in Medicine from Poznan University of Medical Sciences and obtained a PhD in immunology and molecular biology.
2001–2008
Academic and research appointment, Department of Cancer Immunology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences.
2002–2007
Residency training in Medical Oncology, Greater Poland Cancer Center, Poznan.
2007
Board certification in Medical Oncology.
2008–2009
Research fellowship, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
2009–2012
Associate Professor of Medical Oncology, Chair of Medical Biotechnology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences.
2009–2014
Consultant in Medical Oncology, Greater Poland Cancer Center, Poznan.
2012
Awarded the title of Professor of Medicine by the President of the Republic of Poland.
2012–2014
Professor of Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences.
2014–2015
Professor of Medicine and Consultant in Medical Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw.
2015–2016
Deputy Director and Head of Innovation, Development and Clinical Research, West Pomeranian Cancer Center, Szczecin.
2015–2023
President of the Polish Society of Clinical Oncology, serving two consecutive terms.
Since 2016
Head of the Department of Clinical Oncology, University Hospital in Krakow, and Head of the Chair of Oncology, Jagiellonian University Medical College.
2023–2026
Member of the ASCO International Affairs Committee and ASCO liaison for Central and Eastern Europe.
Awards and Honors
1999
Zondek Prize, 10th European Students' Conference, Berlin, Germany.
2000
POLITYKA Award for Young Investigators.
2000
Scholarship of the Polish Ministry of Health.
2001
Prime Minister of Poland Award for an Outstanding PhD Dissertation.
2002
Award for Young Scientists, Foundation for Polish Science.
2008
International Development and Education Award (IDEA), American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Scientific Societies and Editorial Activities
Professional and scientific societies
Polish Society of Clinical and Experimental Immunology
Secretary (2001–2007).
Polish Society of Clinical Oncology
Member since 2004; Chair of the Scientific Committee and contributor to clinical initiatives; President for two consecutive terms (2015–2023).
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Member since 2008; International Affairs Committee Member and liaison for Central and Eastern Europe (2023–2026).
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Member since 2010.
Editorial appointments
The Open Breast Cancer Journal
Editorial Board Member since 2010.
Oncology in Clinical Practice
Deputy Editor since 2011.
OncoDaily Medical Journal
Co-Chair of the “Cancer Care in Europe” Special Series, together with Prof. Giuseppe Curigliano and Prof. Dario Trapani.
His academic activities also include contributions to national clinical practice guidelines, postgraduate oncology training programs, and Poland's national cancer strategy.
Clinical Trials and Translational Research
Professor Piotr J. Wysocki has been actively involved in the development of innovative cancer therapies for more than fifteen years. He has served as Principal Investigator in over 70 international phase I–III oncology clinical trials, investigating novel anticancer agents and emerging systemic treatment strategies.
He established two early-phase clinical trial units, at the West Pomeranian Cancer Center in Szczecin and the University Hospital in Krakow, expanding access to investigational therapies in Poland.
His principal areas of clinical and translational research include:
Early-phase clinical trials (phases I–II)
investigating the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of innovative anticancer agents.
Phase III clinical trials
participation in international research programs evaluating the efficacy of novel systemic treatment strategies.
Cancer immunotherapy
involvement in the preclinical and clinical development of genetically modified allogeneic whole-cell vaccines for renal cell carcinoma and melanoma between 1997 and 2010. Co-inventor of patents related to cellular cancer vaccine technologies.
Therapeutic cancer apheresis
Principal Investigator of the first-in-human trial investigating extracorporeal depletion of soluble TNF receptors (sTNFR) in patients with treatment-refractory metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The first patient was enrolled in Krakow in May 2019. Findings were presented at ASCO and AACR Annual Meetings.
Individualized metronomic chemotherapy
development of multidrug salvage regimens combining metronomic chemotherapy with endocrine treatments or molecularly targeted therapies, particularly for patients with highly treatment-refractory malignancies.
Global oncology
investigation of metronomic systemic therapies as potentially accessible and cost-effective cancer treatment strategies in low- and middle-income countries.
Research identifier: ORCID 0000-0003-4003-5278