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Nelson
Peter S. Nelson, MD

Peter S. Nelson, MD

Medical Oncology

  • Physician, Fred Hutch
  • Vice President, Precision Oncology, Fred Hutch
  • Director, Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute, Fred Hutch
  • Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute Endowed Chair, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Human Biology Division, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutch
  • Principal Investigator, Pacific Northwest Prostate Cancer SPORE, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine
  • Adjunct Professor, Genome Sciences and Pathology, University of Washington
Peter Nelson Lab

About

Dr. Peter S. Nelson is a board-certified medical oncologist and researcher who specializes in prostate cancer. He is vice president of Precision Oncology at Fred Hutch.

Background

Dr. Nelson wants to understand how prostate cancer develops, why therapies become ineffective over time and why there's so much variability in responses among patients. He is also working to better understand the role of aging and male hormones, such as testosterone, in prostate cancer development.

Among those assigned male at birth, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of death from cancer. Though many cases are curable, treatment can have negative side effects, and researchers have yet to develop a cure for advanced, hormone-deprivation-resistant prostate cancer. Dr. Nelson works to understand what triggers the disease and how it develops, as well as to improve therapies and discover new treatment targets. His research covers everything from inherited mutations that increase the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer to the link between aging and prostate cancer. He also works to identify genetic alterations in prostate tumors that can help oncologists tailor treatment for individual patients.

Dr. Nelson's lab focuses on understanding the molecular, cellular and physiological events that lead to cancer initiation and progression. His work studies the genomic features of prostate cancer tumors with the goal of developing diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies. Specifically, his research explores gene expression variability, the role of the androgen receptor pathway and the tumor microenvironment and their role in the response and resistance mechanisms to prostate cancer therapies.

He is principal investigator for Pacific Northwest Prostate Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) and director of the Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute at Fred Hutch.

Area of Clinical Practice
Genitourinary cancers 

“From just about every angle, prostate cancer is a fascinating disease to study. It also has major societal implications because it's so common.”

— Dr. Nelson

What are your areas of clinical focus and goals?

I am focused on research into and treatment of prostate cancer. From just about every angle, it is a fascinating disease to study, and it also has major societal implications because it's so common. Studies have shown that if a man lives long enough, he is almost certain to develop prostate cancer. But the vast majority of the time, these cancers turn out to be the indolent (slow-growing) kind. One of our major goals is to identify molecular markers in the body that indicate which prostate tumors are destined to be aggressive. 

What are some of the challenges of your work?

Identifying new, precise ways to individualize care is one of the major challenges. Does someone have the kind of cancer that is lethal versus the kind of cancer where you say, “Well, we found a cancer, but you don't need to worry about this?” Not every tumor looks the same, and there are many ways for a normal prostate cell to evolve to become a cancer cell and ultimately develop resistance to therapy.

Diseases Treated

Prostate Cancer

Dr. Peter Nelson's lab focuses on understanding the molecular, cellular and physiological events that lead to cancer initiation and progression. Dr. Nelson's work studies the genomic features of prostate cancer tumors with the goal of developing diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies. Specifically, his research explores gene expression variability, the role of the androgen receptor pathway and the tumor microenvironment and their role in the response and resistance mechanisms to prostate cancer therapies.

Exploiting cancer genomics and the tumor microenvironment to guide oncology treatment

Languages

English

Education and Experience

Fellowship, Medical Oncology, University of Washington

Residency, University of Kansas Medical Center

MD, University of Kansas School of Medicine

BA, Chemistry/Biology/Biochemistry, University of Kansas

Board Certification

Medical Oncology, 2018; Internal Medicine, 1989; American Board of Internal Medicine

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.

Find a Clinical Trial Led by Dr. Nelson

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. Nelson's Publications

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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.

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Stories

All news
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TakePART-NW, an ambitious new precision oncology research program, launches at Fred Hutch Patients who opt in may help solve the mysteries of cancer and other diseases June 13, 2025
Fred Hutch expands its research capacity in South Lake Union
Fred Hutch expands its research capacity in South Lake Union Three new buildings will boost recruitment and strengthen science October 7, 2024

Contact Information

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206.667.2917