Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

The VICC.ORG Investigator Directory

Igor Puzanov, M.D.

See also:

• Signal Transduction and Cell Proliferation Research Program
• Medicine: Hematology/Oncology
• BRET: Biomedical Research Education & Training Faculty Listing

Learn More About Igor Puzanov's Specialties:

• Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer
• Melanoma

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Director, Phase I Program
VICC Member
Medical Oncologist

Patient Contact Information:

Appointments: 615-936-8422
Further Information: 877-936-8422

Henry-Joyce Cancer Clinic
1301 Medical Center Drive, Suite 1710
Nashville, Tennessee 37232-7415
Phone: 615-936-8422 or 1-877-936-8422
Fax: 615-343-8668

Healthcare Provider Contact Information:

2220 Pierce Avenue
777 Preston Research Building
Nashville, TN 37232-6307
615-343-6653

Profile

Dr. Puzanov is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology-Oncology.  Dr. Puzanov joined our faculty in July of 2005 after completing a three-year fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and was board certified in 2001. Prior to that, he received his M.D. degree from Charles University in Prague. Dr. Puzanov has been a member of the Phase I team at Vanderbilt as a fellow and as a faculty member.  He led the Phase I team as its Interim Director since December 2008 and was appointed Associate Director of the Phase I Program in September 2009.  In his new role, he is responsible for working closely with the Director, Dr. Jordan Berlin, on the overall scientific and administrative leadership of a Phase I team.  The main focus of his efforts will be to develop investigator initiated trials (IITs) using the preclinical data generated from the VICC research programs.

Dr. Puzanov completed the ASCO/AACR Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop in 2004 and received his Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation degree from Vanderbilt in May, 2007. He has been the PI of six Phase I and four Phase I/II studies including PI on a Phase I IIT of SJG-136, sponsored by CTEP and a TRI contract to Dr. Puzanov for correlative studies. He is a member of the GU Core Committee for ECOG and was a co-investigator on a Phase I/II IIT PHI0470 sponsored by CTEP/NCI analyzing the use of bevacizumab/sorafenib in renal cell carcinoma. This regimen has been taken forward into an ECOG-sponsored, multi-arm Phase II trial of combination regimens E2804 (The BeST trial). Collaboration with the cardiology department led to the recent submission of a grant to study cardiotoxicity of anti-VEGF therapies for cancer (PI: Daniel Lenihan, MD).

Dr. Puzanov’s additional responsibilities include conceptualization of LOIs, integration of appropriate correlative studies, development and activation of IITs, management of patients and assessment of toxicities, and analysis and presentation of Phase I and Phase I/II studies.

Clinical Interest:

Development of novel therapies for patients with solid tumors including melanoma and renal cell carcinoma

Publications:

• Margolin, K, Ernstoff, MS, Hamid, O, Lawrence, D, McDermott, D, Puzanov, I, Wolchok, JD, Clark, JI, Sznol, M, Logan, TF, Richards, J, Michener, T, Balogh, A, Heller, KN, Hodi, FS Ipilimumab in patients with melanoma and brain metastases: an open-label, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol, 13(5), 459-65, 2012.
• Kwa, M, Baumgartner, R, Shavit, L, Barash, I, Michael, J, Puzanov, I, Kopolovic, J, Rosengarten, O, Blank, S, Curtin, JP, Gabizon, A, Muggia, F Is Renal Thrombotic Angiopathy a Potential Problem in the Chronic Treatment of Ovarian Cancer. Oncologist, 2012.
• McArthur, GA, Puzanov, I, Amaravadi, R, Ribas, A, Chapman, P, Kim, KB, Sosman, JA, Lee, RJ, Nolop, K, Flaherty, KT, Callahan, J, Hicks, RJ Marked, homogeneous, and early [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography responses to vemurafenib in BRAF-mutant advanced melanoma. J Clin Oncol, 30(14), 1628-34, 2012.
• Su, F, Viros, A, Milagre, C, Trunzer, K, Bollag, G, Spleiss, O, Reis-Filho, JS, Kong, X, Koya, RC, Flaherty, KT, Chapman, PB, Kim, MJ, Hayward, R, Martin, M, Yang, H, Wang, Q, Hilton, H, Hang, JS, Noe, J, Lambros, M, Geyer, F, Dhomen, N, Niculescu-Duvaz, I, Zambon, A, Niculescu-Duvaz, D, Preece, N, Robert, L, Otte, NJ, Mok, S, Kee, D, Ma, Y, Zhang, C, Habets, G, Burton, EA, Wong, B, Nguyen, H, Kockx, M, Andries, L, Lestini, B, Nolop, KB, Lee, RJ, Joe, AK, Troy, JL, Gonzalez, R, Hutson, TE, Puzanov, I, Chmielowski, B, Springer, CJ, McArthur, GA, Sosman, JA, Lo, RS, Ribas, A, Marais, R RAS mutations in cutaneous squamous-cell carcinomas in patients treated with BRAF inhibitors. N Engl J Med, 366(3), 207-15, 2012.
• Rosen, LS, Puzanov, I, Friberg, G, Chan, E, Hwang, YC, Deng, H, Gilbert, J, Mahalingam, D, McCaffery, I, Michael, SA, Mita, AC, Mita, MM, Mulay, M, Shubhakar, P, Zhu, M, Sarantopoulos, J Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Ganitumab (AMG 479) Combined with Sorafenib, Panitumumab, Erlotinib, or Gemcitabine in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors. Clin Cancer Res, 18(12), 3414-27, 2012.
• Poprach, A, Pavlik, T, Melichar, B, Puzanov, I, Dusek, L, Bortlicek, Z, Vyzula, R, Abrahamova, J, Buchler, T, , Skin toxicity and efficacy of sunitinib and sorafenib in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a national registry-based study. Ann Oncol, 2012.
• Sosman, JA, Kim, KB, Schuchter, L, Gonzalez, R, Pavlick, AC, Weber, JS, McArthur, GA, Hutson, TE, Moschos, SJ, Flaherty, KT, Hersey, P, Kefford, R, Lawrence, D, Puzanov, I, Lewis, KD, Amaravadi, RK, Chmielowski, B, Lawrence, HJ, Shyr, Y, Ye, F, Li, J, Nolop, KB, Lee, RJ, Joe, AK, Ribas, A Survival in BRAF V600-mutant advanced melanoma treated with vemurafenib. N Engl J Med, 366(8), 707-14, 2012.
• Cho, DC, Hutson, TE, Samlowski, W, Sportelli, P, Somer, B, Richards, P, Sosman, JA, Puzanov, I, Michaelson, MD, Flaherty, KT, Figlin, RA, Vogelzang, NJ Two phase 2 trials of the novel Akt inhibitor perifosine in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma after progression on vascular endothelial growth factor-targeted therapy. Cancer, 2012.
• Patrawala, S, Puzanov, I Vemurafenib (RG67204, PLX4032): a potent, selective BRAF kinase inhibitor. Future Oncol, 8(5), 509-23, 2012.
• Puzanov, I, Burnett, P, Flaherty, KT Biological challenges of BRAF inhibitor therapy. Mol Oncol, 5(2), 116-23, 2011.
• Chung, CH, Pohlmann, PR, Rothenberg, ML, Burkey, BB, Parker, J, Palka, K, Aulino, J, Puzanov, I, Murphy, B Insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor inhibitor, AMG-479, in cetuximab-refractory head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck, 33(12), 1804-8, 2011.
• Puzanov, I, Lee, W, Chen, AP, Calcutt, MW, Hachey, DL, Vermeulen, WL, Spanswick, VJ, Liao, CY, Hartley, JA, Berlin, JD, Rothenberg, ML Phase I pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of SJG-136, a novel DNA sequence selective minor groove cross-linking agent, in advanced solid tumors. Clin Cancer Res, 17(11), 3794-802, 2011.
• Su, Y, Amiri, KI, Horton, LW, Yu, Y, Ayers, GD, Koehler, E, Kelley, MC, Puzanov, I, Richmond, A, Sosman, JA A phase I trial of bortezomib with temozolomide in patients with advanced melanoma: toxicities, antitumor effects, and modulation of therapeutic targets. Clin Cancer Res, 16(1), 348-57, 2010.
• Shepherd, C, Puzanov, I, Sosman, JA B-RAF inhibitors: an evolving role in the therapy of malignant melanoma. Curr Oncol Rep, 12(3), 146-52, 2010.
• Flaherty, KT, Puzanov, I Building on a foundation of VEGF and mTOR targeted agents in renal cell carcinoma. Biochem Pharmacol, 80(5), 638-46, 2010.
• Bollag, G, Hirth, P, Tsai, J, Zhang, J, Ibrahim, PN, Cho, H, Spevak, W, Zhang, C, Zhang, Y, Habets, G, Burton, EA, Wong, B, Tsang, G, West, BL, Powell, B, Shellooe, R, Marimuthu, A, Nguyen, H, Zhang, KY, Artis, DR, Schlessinger, J, Su, F, Higgins, B, Iyer, R, D''Andrea, K, Koehler, A, Stumm, M, Lin, PS, Lee, RJ, Grippo, J, Puzanov, I, Kim, KB, Ribas, A, McArthur, GA, Sosman, JA, Chapman, PB, Flaherty, KT, Xu, X, Nathanson, KL, Nolop, K Clinical efficacy of a RAF inhibitor needs broad target blockade in BRAF-mutant melanoma. Nature, 467(7315), 596-9, 2010.
• Flaherty, KT, Puzanov, I, Kim, KB, Ribas, A, McArthur, GA, Sosman, JA, O''Dwyer, PJ, Lee, RJ, Grippo, JF, Nolop, K, Chapman, PB Inhibition of mutated, activated BRAF in metastatic melanoma. N Engl J Med, 363(9), 809-19, 2010.
• Puzanov, I, Flaherty, KT Targeted molecular therapy in melanoma. Semin Cutan Med Surg, 29(3), 196-201, 2010.
• Sosman, J, Puzanov, I Combination targeted therapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma. Cancer, 115(10 Suppl), 2368-75, 2009.
• Tolcher, AW, Sarantopoulos, J, Patnaik, A, Papadopoulos, K, Lin, CC, Rodon, J, Murphy, B, Roth, B, McCaffery, I, Gorski, KS, Kaiser, B, Zhu, M, Deng, H, Friberg, G, Puzanov, I Phase I, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic study of AMG 479, a fully human monoclonal antibody to insulin-like growth factor receptor 1. J Clin Oncol, 27(34), 5800-7, 2009.
• Wade Calcutt, M, Lee, W, Puzanov, I, Rothenberg, ML, Hachey, DL Determination of chemically reduced pyrrolobenzodiazepine SJG-136 in human plasma by HPLC-MS/MS: application to an anticancer phase I dose escalation study. J Mass Spectrom, 43(1), 42-52, 2008.
• Sosman, JA, Puzanov, I, Atkins, MB Opportunities and Obstacles to Combination Targeted Therapy in Renal Cell Cancer. Clin Cancer Res, 13(2), 764s-769s, 2007.
• Sosman, JA, Puzanov, I Molecular targets in melanoma from angiogenesis to apoptosis. Clin Cancer Res, 12(7 Pt 2), 2376s-2383s, 2006.
• Gruber, HE, Puzanov, IJ, Bennett, M, Kumar, V, Gordon, B Alterations in osteoclast morphology following long-term 17beta-estradiol administration in the mouse. BMC Cell Biol, 23, 2001.
• Sivakumar, PV, George, T, Puzanov, IJ, Williams, NS, Stepp, S, Liu, J, Schatzle, J, Lai, WC, Bennett, M, Kumar, V Hybrid resistance by mouse NK cells in vitro. Methods Mol Biol, 12173-9, 2000.
• Williams, NS, Klem, J, Puzanov, IJ, Sivakumar, PV, Bennett, M, Kumar, V Differentiation of NK1.1+, Ly49+ NK cells from flt3+ multipotent marrow progenitor cells. J Immunol, 163(5), 2648-56, 1999.
• Sivakumar, PV, Williams, NS, Puzanov, IJ, Schatzle, JD, Bennett, M, Kumar, V Development of self-recognition systems in natural killer cells. Adv Exp Med Biol, 4521-12, 1998.
• Williams, NS, Klem, J, Puzanov, IJ, Sivakumar, PV, Schatzle, JD, Bennett, M, Kumar, V Natural killer cell differentiation: insights from knockout and transgenic mouse models and in vitro systems. Immunol Rev, 16547-61, 1998.
• Sivakumar, PV, Puzanov, I, Williams, NS, Bennett, M, Kumar, V Ontogeny and differentiation of murine natural killer cells and their receptors. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol, 230161-90, 1998.
• Williams, NS, Moore, TA, Schatzle, JD, Puzanov, IJ, Sivakumar, PV, Zlotnik, A, Bennett, M, Kumar, V Generation of lytic natural killer 1.1+, Ly-49- cells from multipotential murine bone marrow progenitors in a stroma-free culture: definition of cytokine requirements and developmental intermediates. J Exp Med, 186(9), 1609-14, 1997.
• Puzanov, IJ, Williams, NS, Schatzle, J, Sivakumar, PV, Bennett, M, Kumar, V Ontogeny of NK cells and the bone marrow microenvironment: where does IL15 fit in. Res Immunol, 148(3), 195-201, 1997.
• Puzanov, IJ, Bennett, M, Kumar, V IL-15 can substitute for the marrow microenvironment in the differentiation of natural killer cells. J Immunol, 157(10), 4282-5, 1996.

Education

• Charles University, Prague, Czechoslovakia, M.D., 1991
• Internship, Internal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty Hospital Royal Vineyards,
• Residency/Internship, Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology, Vanderbilt University
• Master of Science in Clinical Investigation, Vanderbilt University