William Tseng, M.D.

Surgical oncologist William Tseng, M.D., puts a priority on ensuring his patients understand the details of their disease so they can fully participate in making decisions about their treatment.

For him, surgery is about performing not only a technically perfect operation but also the procedure most appropriate for that person’s cancer, their values and their concerns. Because each person with sarcoma faces a unique situation, he focuses on not just saving life, but preserving function and quality of life.

Dr. Tseng pursued his medical studies at Northwestern University, followed by a residency in general surgery at University of California San Francisco and a fellowship in surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He also was a postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford University and MD Anderson, investigating interactions between the body’s natural defenses and tumor cells. Before City of Hope, he was Associate Professor of Surgery at USC, where he led the Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Surgery Program.

A physician-scientist with 60 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Tseng was the lead author on discoveries about the immune response in the environment around tumors that may explain how liposarcoma — a cancer that develops in fatty tissue — becomes aggressive. He frequently collaborates with the Transatlantic Australasian Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group, which includes 128 institutions, to lead projects that improve treatment.

Joining the faculty of City of Hope is a sort of homecoming for Dr. Tseng, who grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and participated in the institution’s Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy as a high schooler. In fact, shadowing surgical oncologists at the main Duarte campus while participating in the academy session was what originally inspired him to enter the field himself.

Fluent in Mandarin and Taiwanese, Dr. Tseng devotes time away from work to his family (including his dog) and to interests, such as travel, modern art, cinema and collecting vintage toys from the 1980s.

Peer Reviewed (Sarcoma: 43 total)

• Dominguez DA, Sampath S, Agulnik M, Liang Y, Nguyen B, Trisal V, Melstrom LG, Lewis AG, Paz IB, Roberts RF, Tseng WW. Surgical Management of Retroperitoneal Sarcoma. Curr Oncol. 2023 Apr 29;30(5):4618-4631. PMID:37232807

• Tirotta F, Napolitano A, Noh S, Schmitz E, Nessim C, Patel D, Sicklick JK, Smith M, Thway K, van der Hage J, Ford SJ,Tseng WW. Current management of benign retroperitoneal tumors. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2023 Jun;49(6):1081-1090. PMID:35879135

• Tseng WW, Swallow CJ, Strauss DC, Raut CP, Gronchi A. ASO Author Reflections: Management of Locally Recurrent Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: The Balance is Tipped Towards Biology. Ann Surg Oncol. 2022 Nov;29(12):7349-7350.. PMID:35763230

• Tseng WW, Swallow CJ, Strauss DC, Bonvalot S, Rutkowski P, Ford SJ, Gonzalez RJ, Gladdy RA, Gyorki DE, Fairweather M, Lee KW, Albertsmeier M, van Houdt WJ, Fau M, Nessim C, Grignani G, Cardona K, Quagliuolo V, Grignol V, Farma JM, Pennacchioli E, Fiore M, Hayes A, Tzanis D, Skoczylas J, Almond ML, Mullinax JE, Johnston W, Snow H, Haas RL, Callegaro D, Smith MJ, Bouhadiba T, Desai A, Voss R, Sanfilippo R, Jones RL, Baldini EH, Wagner AJ, Catton CN, Stacchiotti S, Thway K, Roland CL, Raut CP, Gronchi A; Transatlantic Australasian Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group. Management of Locally Recurrent Retroperitoneal Sarcoma in the Adult: An Updated Consensus Approach from the Transatlantic Australasian Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group. Ann Surg Oncol. 2022 Nov;29(12):7335-7348. PMID:35767103

• Miao CL, Zhang LL,Tseng WW, Qiu FB, Lu WQ, Dai YG, Rao XS, Li WJ, Zhang GK, Chen J, Liu WQ, Chen XB, Xiao MM, Cha LC, Wang JY, Ren YB, Yang HY, Luo CH. A better overall survival (OS) for total (ipsilateral) retroperitoneal lipectomy than standard complete resection in patients with retroperitoneal liposarcoma: a comparative multi-institutional study. Ann Transl Med. 2022 Jul;10(14):785. PMID:35965811

• Salamo RM, Fong TL, Patel D, Silva JP, Chopra S, Kulkarni S, Tseng WW, Grant EG. Case Report: Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) of the falciform ligament with recruitment of the paraumbilical vein. J Cancer Res Pract 2022 (in press) 
• Cyprich J, Yoon D; Shin J, Patel DB, Thomas J, Tseng WW. Retrorectal mass: An atypical case presentation of metastatic myxoid liposarcoma. ACS Case Rev Surg. 2022 Feb; 3(5). Online: https://www.facs.org/publications/case-reviews/toc/v3n5
• Tseng WW, Pollock RE, Grignol VP. Disease Biology is "King" in Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma. Ann Surg Oncol. 2021 Dec; 28(Suppl 3):832-834. PMID: 34338924
• Tseng WW, Barretta F, Baia M, Barisella M, Radaelli S, Callegaro D, Yoon DH, Fiore M, Gronchi A. Dedifferentiation within well-differentiated liposarcoma of the extremity or trunk: Implications for clinical management. J Surg Oncol. 2021 Oct;124(5):838-845. PMID: 34254688
• Tseng WW, Barretta F, Conti L, Grignani G, Tolomeo F, Albertsmeier M, Angele MK, Rutkowski P, Skoczylas J, De Paoli A, Navarria F, Raut CP, Fairweather M, Farma JM, Nessim C, Goel N, Grignol VP, Ford SJ, Cardona K, Subhawong T, Tattersall HL, Lee RM, Hu JS, von Mehren M, Sanfilippo R, Gronchi A. Defining the role of neoadjuvant systemic therapy in high-risk retroperitoneal sarcoma: A multi - institutional study from the Transatlantic Australasian Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group. Cancer. 2021 Mar 1;127(5):729-738. PMID: 33206381
• Subramaniam S, Callahan J, Bressel M, Hofman MS, Mitchell C, Hendry S, Vissers FL, Van der Hiel B, Patel D, Van Houdt WJ, Tseng WW, Gyorki DE. The role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in retroperitoneal sarcomas-A multicenter retrospective study. J Surg Oncol. 2021 Mar;123(4):1081-1087. PMID: 33444466
• Tattersall HL, Hodson J, Cardona K, Lee RM, Nessim C, Gladdy R, Van Der Hage J, Schrage Y, Tseng WW, van Houdt W, Novak M, Grignani G, Tolomeo F, Goel N, Ryon E, Gyorki D, Bagaria SP, Gonzalez JA, Arnau ABM, Sayyed R, Tirotta F, Evenden C, Desai A, Almond M, Glasbey J, Fiore M, Gronchi A, Ford SJ. Primary mesenteric sarcomas: Collaborative experience from the Trans-Atlantic Australasian Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group (TARPSWG). J Surg Oncol. 2021 Mar;123(4):1057-1066. PMID: 33368277
• Perrault DP, Lee GK, Yu RP, Carre AL, Chattha A, Johnson MB, Gardner DJ, Carey JN, Tseng WW, Menendez LR, Wong AK. Risk Factors for Wound Complications After Soft Tissue Sarcoma Resection. Ann Plast Surg. 2021 Mar 1;86(3S Suppl 2): S336-S341. PMID: 33234885
• Jayachandran P, Patel D, Hu J, Ragab O, Ho J, Lara K, Ching A, Wayman C, Tseng WW. Multidisciplinary sarcoma tumor board: adolescent and young adult soft tissue sarcoma-myxoid liposarcoma and alveolar soft part sarcoma. Chin Clin Oncol. 2020 Oct; 9(5):67. PMID: 33161723
• Tseng WW, Gronchi A, Bonvalot S, Pollock RE. A sommelier to guide wine selection and a specialist to manage the sarcoma patient: Barriers to referral and definition of a sarcoma specialist. J Surg Oncol. 2020 May;121(6):925-926. PMID: 32048291
• Tseng WW, Chen J, Patel D, Miao C, Ching A, Yang S, Feng Y, Matcuk G, Lara K, Hu J, Ragab O, Ho J, Rao X, Hanif S, Luo C. Multidisciplinary sarcoma tumor board: retroperitoneal liposarcoma. Chin Clin Oncol. 2020 Apr; 9(2):20. PMID: 32156120
• Lang JE, Tseng WW, Kang I. Editorial: A Novel Monoclonal Antibody-Targeting Angiogenesis by Inhibiting Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 2. Ann Surg Oncol. 2019 Dec;26(13):4188-4190. PMID: 31502016
• Jung EE, Heinemann FS, Egelston CA, Wang J, Pollock RE, Lee PP, Tseng WW. Synchronous recurrence of concurrent colon adenocarcinoma and dedifferentiated liposarcoma. BMJ Case Rep. 2019 May 13;12(5). PMID: 31088817
• Tseng WW, Pasquali S, Hu JS, Menendez LR, Gronchi A. Staging systems and nomograms in soft tissue sarcoma: outcome prediction by categorization or personalization? Chin Clin Oncol. 2019 Mar PMID: 30943728
• Tseng WW, Luo CH, Pollock RE. Multidisciplinary management of soft tissue sarcoma. Chin Clin Oncol. 2018 Aug;7(4):34. PMID: 30173525
• Wang J, Grignol VP, Gronchi A, Luo CH, Pollock RE, Tseng WW. Surgical management of retroperitoneal sarcoma and opportunities for global collaboration. Chin Clin Oncol. 2018 Aug;7(4):39. PMID: 30173530
• Jung E, Fiore M, Gronchi A, Grignol V, Pollock RE, Chong SS, Chopra S, Hamilton AS, Tseng WW. Second Primary Malignancies in Patients with Well-differentiated / Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma. Anticancer Res. 2018 Jun;38(6):3535-3542. PMID: 29848707
• Tseng WW, Tsao-Wei DD, Callegaro D, Grignani G, D’Ambrosio L, Bonvalot S, Ethun CG, Cardona K, Mullen JT, Canter RJ, Mullinax JE, Gonzalez RJ, van Coevorden F, Albertsmeier M, Dhanireddy KK, Renne SL, Gronchi, A. Pancreaticoduodenectomy in the surgical management of primary retroperitoneal sarcoma. Eur J Surg Oncol 2018 Jun;44(6):810-815. PMID: 29452860
• Teniola O, Wang KY, Wang WL, Tseng WW, Amini B. Imaging of liposarcomas for clinicians: Characteristic features and differential considerations. J Surg Oncol 2018 May; 117(6):1195-1203. PMID: 29228461
• Tseng WW, Seo HJ, Pollock RE, Gronchi A. Historical Perspectives and Future Directions in the Surgical Management of Retroperitoneal Sarcoma. J Surg Oncol 2018 Jan;117(1):7-11. PMID: 29127700
• Tseng WW, Pollock RE, Gronchi A. Retroperitoneal Sarcomas: Big tumors that Involve More than Just “Getting It Out” J Surg Oncol 2018 Jan;117(1):5-6. PMID: 29127697
• Livingston JA, Bugano D, Barbo A, Lin H, Madewell JE, Wang WL, Lazar AJ, Tseng WW, Roland CL, Feig BW, Pollock R, Conley AP, Benjamin RS, Patel S, Somaiah N. Role of chemotherapy in dedifferentiated liposarcoma of the retroperitoneum: defining the benefit and challenges of the standard. Sci Rep. 2017 Sep 19;7(1):11836. PMID: 2892842
• In GK, Hu JS, Tseng WW. Treatment of soft tissue sarcoma: latest evidence and clinical considerations. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2017 Aug;9(8):533-550. PMID: 28794805
• Tseng WW, Gronchi A. Surgery for recurrence in retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma: Is it all about selection? J Surg Oncol. 2017 Sep;116(3):267-268. PMID: 28672078
• Nassif NA, Tseng WW, Borges C, Chen P, Eisenberg B. Recent advances in the management of liposarcoma. F1000Res. 2016 Dec 22; 5:2907. PMID: 28105325
• Tseng WW, Pollock RE, Gronchi A. The Trans-Atlantic Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group (TARPSWG): “Red wine or white”? Ann Surg Oncol 2016 Dec; 23(13):4418-4420. PMID: 27613555
• Tseng WW, Chopra S, Engleman EG, Pollock RE. Hypothesis: The Intratumoral Immune Response against a Cancer Progenitor Cell Impacts the Development of Well-Differentiated versus Dedifferentiated Disease in Liposarcoma. Front Oncol 2016 Jun 10; 6:134. PMID: 27376027
• Byerly S, Chopra S, Nassif NA, Chen P, Sener SF, Eisenberg BL, Tseng WW. The Role of Margins in Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma. J Surg Oncol 2016 Mar;113(3):333-8. PMID: 26662660
• Khoury M, Sim GC, Harao M, Radvanyi L, Amini B, Benjamin RS, Pisters PWT, Pollock RE, Tseng WW. Multicystic Dedifferentiated Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma: Tumor Cyst Fluid Analysis and Implications for Management. BMJ Case Rep 2015 Jul 8;2015. PMID: 26156843
• Tseng WW, Zhou S, To CA, Thall PF, Lazar AJF, Pollock RE, Lin PP, Cormier JN, Feig BW, Hunt K, Ballo MT, Patel S, Pisters PWT. Phase I adaptive dose-finding study of neoadjuvant gemcitabine combined with radiation therapy for patients with high-risk extremity and trunk soft tissue sarcoma. Cancer 2015 Oct 15;121(20):3659-67. PMID: 26177983
• Olimpiadi Y, Song S, Hu JS, Matcuk GR, Chopra S, Eisenberg BL, Sener SF, Tseng WW. Contemporary Management of Retroperitoneal Soft Tissue Sarcomas. Curr Oncol Rep 2015 Aug;17(8): 39. PMID: 26092408
• Tseng WW, Malu S, Zhang M, Chen J, Sim GC, Wei W, Ingram D, Somaiah N, Lev DC, Pollock RE, Lizee G, Radvanyi L, Hwu P. Analysis of the intratumoral adaptive immune response in well differentiated and dedifferentiated retroperitoneal liposarcoma. Sarcoma 2015: 547460. PMID:25705114
• Ikoma N, Torres KE, Somaiah N, Hunt KK, Cormier JN, Tseng W, Lev D, Pollock R, Wang WL, Feig B. Accuracy of Preoperative Percutaneous Biopsy for the Diagnosis of Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma Subtypes. Ann Surg Oncol 2015 Apr;22(4):1068-72. PMID:25354575
• Amini B, Jessop AC, Ganeshan DM, Tseng WW, Madewell JE. Contemporary imaging of soft tissue sarcomas. J Surg Oncol 2015 Apr;111(5):496-503. PMID:25348367
• Tseng WW, Amini B, Madewell JE. Follow-up of the soft tissue sarcoma patient. J Surg Oncol 2015 Apr;111(5):641-5. PMID:25322963
• Tseng WW, Somaiah N, Engleman EG. Potential for Immunotherapy in Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2014;10(11):3117-24. PMID:25625925
• Tseng WW, Madewell JE, Wei W, Somaiah N, Lazar AJ, Ghadimi MP, Hoffman AL, Pisters PW, Lev DC, Pollock RE. Locoregional Disease Patterns in Well Differentiated and Dedifferentiated Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma: Implications for the Extent of Resection? Ann Surg Oncol 2014 Jul; 21(7): 2136-43. PMID: 24705628
• Tseng WW, Somaiah N, Lazar AJ, Lev DC, Pollock RE. Novel Systemic Therapies in Advanced Liposarcoma: A Review of Recent Clinical Trial Results. Cancers 2013 May 10; 5(2):529-549. PMID: 24216990
• Tseng WW, Demicco EG, Lazar AJ, Lev DC, Pollock RE. Lymphocyte Composition and Distribution in Inflammatory, Well-Differentiated Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma: Clues to a Potential Adaptive Immune Response and Therapeutic Implications. Am J Surg Pathol 2012 Jun; 36(6):941-4. PMID: 22446945
• Tseng WW, Eichler CM, Warren RS, Nakakura EK. Complete and Safe Resection of Challenging Retroperitoneal Tumors: Anticipation of Multi-organ and Major Vascular Resection and Use of Adjunct Procedures. World J Surg Oncol 2011 Nov 4; 4(9):143. PMID: 22054416 receptor-2 on survival, tumor vascularity, and apoptosis in a murine model of colon carcinomatosis. Int J Oncol 2001 Feb; 18(2):221-226. PMID: 11172585