Naomi Y. Ko MD, MPH
Associate Professor, Hematology & Medical Oncology
820 Harrison Ave | (617) 638-8188naomi.ko@bmc.org
naomiko@bu.edu
Sections
Hematology & Medical Oncology
Centers
BU-BMC Cancer Center
Center of Excellence in Women’s Health
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
Biography
Breast Cancer
Cancer Disparities
Health Equity
Dr. Ko is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine (BUSM) and a medical oncologist at Boston Medical Center (BMC) who has a lifelong passion for social justice. After college, Dr. Ko participated in Teach For America followed by volunteer service at the Berkeley Free Clinic in the Bay Area. She went on to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and School of Public Health to complete her MD MPH with a focus on health outcomes research for vulnerable populations. After internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital she arrived for fellowship in hematology/oncology at BUSM/BMC, which allowed Dr. Ko to conduct research in the context of caring for an underserved population within a large safety net institution. She has sought out meaningful projects that are a culmination of her passion for oncology, service to the underserved, and academic research. Her research has a translational focus that has been directed to understanding the disconnect between scientific discoveries in cancer treatment and delivery of evidence-based treatment to vulnerable, racial/ethnic minority women with breast cancer. She is actively investigating how tumor biology, poverty, communication and treatment influence breast cancer outcomes in diverse breast cancer populations.
Websites
Boston Medical Center Provider Profile
Radio Boston Financial Toxicity of Cancer
Education
Medicine-Internal, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2006
Epidemiology, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, 2005
East Asian Studies, AM, Harvard University, 2001
American Studies, BA, Barnard College, 1995
Publications
Chung SH, de Geus SWL, Shewmaker G, Romatoski KS, Drake FT, Ko NY, Merrill AL, Hirsch AE, Tseng JF, Sachs TE, Cassidy MR. Axillary Lymph Node Dissection is Associated with Improved Survival Among Men with Invasive Breast Cancer and Sentinel Node Metastasis. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 May 19. PMID: 37204557.
Published on 5/18/2023Chung SH, de Geus SWL, Shewmaker G, Romatoski KS, Drake FT, Ko NY, Merrill AL, Hirsch AE, Tseng JF, Sachs TE, Cassidy MR. ASO Visual Abstract: Axillary Lymph Node Dissection is Associated with Improved Survival for Men with Invasive Breast Cancer and Sentinel Node Metastasis. Ann Surg Oncol. 2023 May 18. PMID: 37202569.
Published on 5/13/2023Odai-Afotey A, Lederman RI, Ko NY, Gagnon H, Fikre T, Gundersen DA, Revette AC, Hershman DL, Crew KD, Keating NL, Freedman RA. Breast cancer treatment receipt and the role of financial stress, health literacy, and numeracy among diverse breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023 Jul; 200(1):127-137. PMID: 37178432.
Published on 2/24/2023Beaulieu-Jones BR, Shewmaker G, Fefferman A, Kenzik K, Zhang T, Drake FT, Sachs TE, Hirsch AE, Merrill A, Ko NY, Cassidy MR. Mitigating disparities in breast cancer treatment at an academic safety-net hospital. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2023 Apr; 198(3):597-606. PMID: 36826701.
Published on 12/16/2022Beaulieu-Jones BR, Fefferman A, Woods AP, Shewmaker G, Zhang T, Roh DS, Sachs TE, Merrill A, Ko NY, Cassidy MR. Impact of Race, Ethnicity, Primary Language, and Insurance on Reconstruction after Mastectomy for Patients with Breast Cancer at an Urban, Academic Safety-Net Hospital. J Am Coll Surg. 2023 Jun 01; 236(6):1071-1082. PMID: 36524735.
Published on 12/8/2022Patel JV, Hughes DM, Ko NY. OPTIMAL Breast Cancer Care: Effect of an Outpatient Pharmacy Team to Improve Management and Adherence to Oral Cancer Treatment. JCO Oncol Pract. 2023 Mar; 19(3):e306-e314. PMID: 36480784.
Published on 10/11/2022Freedman RA, Ko NY, Lederman RI, Gagnon H, Fikre T, Gundersen DA, Revette AC, Odai-Afotey A, Kantor O, Hershman DL, Crew KD, Keating NL. Breast cancer knowledge and understanding treatment rationales among diverse breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2022 Dec; 196(3):623-633. PMID: 36220997.
Published on 10/1/2022Choi JJ, Fikre T, Fischman A, Buck AK, Ko NY. The Role of Race and Insurance Status in Access to Genetic Counseling and Testing Among High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients. Oncologist. 2022 Oct 01; 27(10):832-838. PMID: 36124631.
Published on 9/10/2022Smith CEP, Marcom PK, Mitri Z, Ko NY. Predictors of long-term durable response in de novo HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and the real-world treatment experience at two institutions. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2022 Nov; 196(1):215-220. PMID: 36087190.
Published on 8/1/2022Restrepo E, Ko N, Warner ET. An evaluation of readability and understandability of online education materials for breast cancer survivors. J Cancer Surviv. 2022 Aug 01. PMID: 35913680.
Media Mentions
Published on 5/9/2023
So, when do you need that next mammogram?
Published on 4/3/2023
Published on 2/17/2022
Consistency of care across US may have ‘biggest impact’ on breast cancer outcomes
Published on 12/30/2021
Racial disparities a ‘harsh reality’ in breast cancer care
Published on 11/5/2021
The Other C: Avoiding Or Delaying Care Because Of The Pandemic
Published on 12/10/2020
Published on 10/31/2020
Freedom Songs in NH, Affordable Dental Care in Waltham, and New Cancer Research Grants in Boston
Published on 10/30/2020
MGH, BMC Study Looks At The Role Race Plays In Treating Breast Cancer
Published on 1/22/2020
Insurance status a key clue in closing racial, economic breast cancer treatment gaps
Published on 1/21/2020
Insurance Status Helps Explain Racial Disparities in Cancer Diagnosis
View full list of 16 media mentions.