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Fong
Lawrence Fong, MD

Lawrence Fong, MD

Medical Oncology

  • Physician, Fred Hutch
  • Scientific Director, Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Translational Science and Therapeutics, Fred Hutch
  • Bezos Family Distinguished Scholar in Immunotherapy, Fred Hutch
  • Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington
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About

Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Fong is a board-certified medical oncologist and scientist at Fred Hutch who specializes in immunotherapy and genitourinary cancers.

Background

Dr. Fong is the scientific director of the Fred Hutch Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center. He cares for patients with prostate, bladder or kidney cancers. In his clinical practice, he uses immunotherapy to care for patients with these cancers.

Alongside patient care, Dr. Fong heads a research program studying the mechanisms of response and resistance to cancer immunotherapies in both preclinical models and in cancer patients. His work spans laboratory studies and clinical trials, including the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors that remove barriers preventing the immune system from targeting cancer. His research helped lead to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of sipuleucel‑T, an immunotherapy for prostate cancer, and includes leading the first clinical trial studying adenosine antagonism as a way to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

Dr. Fong previously served as the founding director of the Cancer Immunotherapy Program at the University of California, San Francisco. His contributions to the field have been recognized with a National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award, and he serves on the board of directors for the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer and as a senior editor for leading immuno-oncology journals.

Area of Clinical Practice
Immunotherapy, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer

“Taking care of patients means tailoring the latest treatments to their needs and goals.”

— Dr. Fong

How have you been personally impacted by cancer?

I saw the ups and downs of cancer treatment through my father’s experience with lymphoma and learned the importance of a strong care team. 

What brought you to oncology?

I was inspired by my first immunology classes in medical school. My own familiarity with cancer drives me to develop new treatments for it.

At the beginning of my career, cancer immunotherapy was not a popular idea. I had professors tell me that immunotherapy for solid tumors was never going to work. Now, we’re at a point where we have enormous successes to build on.

Diseases Treated

Bladder Cancer

Kidney Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Elected Member, Board of Directors, Society of Immunotherapy for Cancer

Inaugural Senior Editor, Cancer Immunology Research

Inaugural Senior Editor, Journal of Immunotherapy of Cancer

Languages

English

Education and Experience

Fellowship, Medical Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1997

Residency, Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1994

MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1992

BA, Columbia University, 1988

Board Certification

Medical Oncology, 1997, American Board of Internal Medicine

Awards

Bezos Distinguished Scholar, Fred Hutch, 2024

National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award, 2021 
Dr. Fong received a National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award, which provides $4.2 million over seven years for his project, “Determinants of Response to Cancer Immunotherapy.”

Clinical Trials

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians and researchers. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you.

View Clinical Trials Led by Dr. Fong

Publications

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians and researchers conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by others in their field and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written.

View Dr. Fong's Publications

Your Care Team

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like registered dietitians, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders.

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Insurance

Fred Hutch accepts most national private health insurance plans as well as Medicare. We also accept Medicaid for people from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. We are working to ensure that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, has access to the care they need.

More About Insurance

Stories

All news
Fred Hutch research shines at national oncology conference
Fred Hutch research shines at national oncology conference Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer meeting features new discoveries on cancer-cell visualization, T-cell survival and new targets for solid tumors December 6, 2024
Dr. Lawrence Fong, new Fred Hutch immunotherapy director, talks about how the field has transformed oncology
Dr. Lawrence Fong, new Fred Hutch immunotherapy director, talks about how the field has transformed oncology In-house grant funding program will underpin efforts to advance therapies to clinical trials August 15, 2024
Dr. Lawrence Fong to lead Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center
Dr. Lawrence Fong to lead Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center International expert will help scale up Fred Hutch’s clinical expertise in solid tumor immunotherapy October 12, 2023

Contact Information