Susmitha Apuri, MD, Joins Florida Cancer Specialists

Susmitha Apuri, MD

The Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) will be welcoming Susmitha Apuri, MD, into its ranks starting July 1, 2019.

Apuri, who is board certified in medical oncology, hematology, and internal medicine will be seeing patients in Inverness, Florida. Her research has been focused on developments in breast, lung, and colon cancers, as well as hematology.

Apuri also avidly participates in clinical trials and served as a principal investigator in melanoma, breast cancer, and peripheral T-cell lymphoma clinical trials. She also served as an assistant professor at Moffit Cancer Center at the University of Florida.

We are pleased to welcome Dr Apuri to FCS; Lucio Gordan, MD, president and managing physician of Florida Cancer Specialists, said in a statement. She comes to us with excellent credentials and a demonstrated focus on clinical research, which is critical in providing the best care for our patients.

Apuri has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and has co-authored book chapters. Her work has been presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference, the Miami Breast Cancer Conference, the American Society of Hematology conference, and the Society of Hematologic Oncology conference. She is also an active member of the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology and ASCO, as well as several other societies, and is focused especially on patient advocacy.

She completed her medical degree at the NTR University of Health Sciences in Vijayawada, India. Her internship and residency were completed at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Apuri completed her fellowship in hematology/oncology at the University of South Florida- H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. She has been living in the Tampa Bay area since 2006. She is trilingual, speaking English, Hindi, and;Telugu.

Dr Apuri brings much needed expertise in medical oncology and hematology to the central Florida community of Inverness. We are pleased to have her join the FCS family; Brad Prechtl, MBA, Florida Cancer Specialists’ CEO, said in a press release.

Founded in 1984, FCS is the largest independent community oncology/ hematology practice in the United States. They have over 230 doctors in their network, along with 200 nurse practitioners and physicians' assistants across nearly 100 locations. In 2017, they founded the American Oncology Network, which works to replicate the success of the Florida Cancer Specialists nationally. Currently, they have practices in Arkansas, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Virginia. Starting in July, they will also have a practice in Nevada.

FCSs has been awarded a national Clinical Trials Participation award by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. According to their website, over the past four years, the majority of newly developed cancer drugs were approved for use in the United States were studied in clinical trials with Florida Cancer Specialists. In 2016 alone, 84% of new cancer drugs were studied in clinical trials that FCS participated in.