Dr. Rajat Thawani is a medical oncologist at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute in Portland, Oregon. He treats adults with lung cancer, thymoma and other thymic tumors, and mesothelioma.

He has a particular focus on lung cancer in people who never smoked, and on lung cancers driven by specific genetic changes in the tumor, including EGFR, ALK, ROS1, KRAS and MET. He designs clinical trials that match treatments to those features, so the treatment is more likely to work and less likely to cause side effects that aren't necessary.

A treatment plan only works if it fits your life and your goals. Some patients want every option on the table. Others want the plan that keeps them well enough to work, travel, or be home with family. Dr. Thawani wants to know which one you are before he recommends anything.

He also wants you to understand your own cancer. He will walk you through what your scans and biopsy results mean, why he is recommending a particular treatment, which side effects to watch for, and what the next step is if the first plan doesn't work.

What to expect at your first visit

Before your appointment, Dr. Thawani reviews your scans, your biopsy results, and any genetic testing done on your tumor. If that testing hasn't been done yet, he will often order it, because for lung cancer it can change which treatments are options for you.

At the visit, he will explain what your results show, lay out the treatment choices, and tell you what he would recommend and why. Bring your questions written down, and bring someone with you if you can. Most people don't remember everything from a first oncology visit.

He also sees patients who want a second opinion on a diagnosis or a treatment plan. A second opinion is scheduled the same way as any other new patient appointment.

Access to new treatments

Dr. Thawani designs and leads clinical trials, including early-phase studies that test treatments before they are widely available. That means some of his patients can access options they could not get elsewhere. A clinical trial is not a last resort, and for some people it is the best available option from the start. He will tell you honestly whether a trial is worth considering for your situation, at OHSU or elsewhere.

Your care team

His patients are cared for by a team. That includes chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy specialists, and supportive services covering nutrition, symptom management, financial counseling, and support for families.

Research

His research looks at how targeted therapies and the immune system work together, with the goal of treatments that work better and cause fewer side effects. He collaborates with researchers around the world, publishes in leading oncology journals including CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Oncology, and the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, and speaks at national and international meetings.

Outside of clinic

Dr. Thawani returned to Portland after two years at the University of Chicago. He spends his free time with family and friends, hiking in the Pacific Northwest, and baking.