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Sorror
Mohamed L. Sorror, MD, MSc

Mohamed L. Sorror, MD, MSc

Hematology-Oncology

  • Physician, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch
  • Affiliate Investigator, Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutch
  • Associate Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine
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About

Dr. Mohamed L. Sorror is a hematologist-oncologist and clinical researcher at Fred Hutch focused on improving care for older and medically complex patients with blood cancers by helping many patients achieve not only longer survival, but also meaningful quality of life and preserved function.

Background

Dr. Sorror is a blood and marrow transplant (BMT) specialist whose work centers on improving care for patients with aggressive blood cancers and selected non-malignant blood disorders, particularly those who are older, frail or have other medical conditions. He specializes in both autologous stem cell transplantation, which uses a patient’s own cells, and allogeneic transplantation, which uses cells from a compatible donor. His clinical and research focus also includes cellular immunotherapy.  

Much of Dr. Sorror’s career focuses on clinical research designed to help patients and their physicians make better, more personalized treatment decisions. He and his colleagues pioneered the first widely used scoring system to predict the risks of stem cell transplantation for an individual patient, the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI). He also integrated geriatric assessments into decision-making for leukemia treatment with chemotherapy or BMT and helped lead development of CHARM, a composite health assessment model for adults age 60 and older undergoing allogeneic transplantation.

Dr. Sorror leads multicenter clinical trials that test supportive and palliative care, exercise programs and targeted management of medical conditions to improve BMT outcomes for vulnerable patients. Through both clinical and population-based studies, he develops and validates tools to predict survival, treatment side effects and quality of life, function and independence. His work also explores patient experiences, values and treatment preferences to ensure therapies align with what matters most to them.

Additionally, he is leading efforts to improve access to BMT and immunotherapy for patients from underrepresented groups or those facing socioeconomic barriers.

Throughout his career, Dr. Sorror has served as principal investigator on grants from the National Cancer Institute, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, American Cancer Society and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. He also holds several leadership positions with national and international organizations, such as the Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network.

Area of Clinical Practice
Adult blood and marrow transplantation, autologous and allogeneic transplantation, cellular immunotherapy, leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers, treatment decision-making for older adults and patients with comorbidities, transplant risk assessment, survivorship, quality-of-life and functional recovery care

“For older patients, the goal is not only long-term survival. The goal is survival with a meaningful and appropriate quality of life, preserved function and independence, and time spent in the ways that matter most to each patient and family.”

— Dr. Sorror

Why do you practice oncology?

I grew up in Egypt, and when I was a child, my father was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and eventually died from it. At a young age, I learned about the important role of physicians in taking care of patients with cancer. I also recognized the limited access patients in Egypt had to research, supportive care and treatment options. Out of these experiences grew my desire to become an oncologist. Today, I treat patients the way I would treat my own family members. I use my research and clinical expertise to support not only longer survival, but also meaningful and appropriate quality of life, preserved function and independence for older patients and other medically complex patients.

What motivates your research?

A majority of people with blood cancers like leukemia are seniors, but most studies about these diseases don’t include them. There’s a big gap in knowledge about how to provide care for people 60 and over, and we have to change that. My research tends to focus on traditionally marginalized patients — seniors or people who have multiple health challenges — so that we can figure out how to best help them. For example, I once cared for an 80-year-old man with cancer. At the time, only a few people in the world had ever undergone a bone marrow transplant at that age. But, using an evidence-based test I developed with colleagues at Fred Hutch, the HCT-CI, we discovered that he was actually a good candidate for the procedure. He got the transplant and was able to enjoy a few more precious years with his wife. That’s why I do this.

Diseases Treated

Leukemia

Lymphoma

Multiple Myeloma

HCT-CI: Developed and validated the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Specific Comorbidity Index, a widely used tool to estimate transplant risks based on a patient’s pre-transplant health conditions.

CHARM: Co-led development and validation of the Composite Health Assessment Risk Model for older adults, integrating comorbidities, geriatric assessment, biomarkers and patient-reported function to estimate non-relapse mortality after allogeneic transplantation.

Patient-centered interventions: Leads trials designed to improve survival, quality of life, physical function, symptom burden and decision-making for older, frail and medically complex patients.

Access and equity: Studies barriers to cellular therapies and tests approaches to improve access for patients from underrepresented groups and communities affected by adverse social determinants of health.

Risk prediction and biomarkers

  • Developing and validating biomarkers, geriatric assessments and clinical models that predict outcomes after stem cell transplantation and cellular immunotherapy.
  • Improving personalized estimates of survival, non-relapse mortality, treatment toxicity, functional decline and quality of life.

Trials for older and medically complex adults

  • Leading multicenter trials of supportive care, palliative care, exercise, targeted comorbidity management and conditioning approaches to improve transplant outcomes.
  • Testing pragmatic treatment strategies for older adults with AML and patients living with multiple chronic diseases.

Access, equity and patient-centered care

  • Studying and addressing socioeconomic and structural barriers that limit access to BMT and cellular immunotherapy.
  • Exploring patient experiences, values and preferences so treatments align with what matters most to patients and families.

Home-based and lifestyle interventions

  • Developing home-based care approaches for patients with rare diseases treated with transplant or immunotherapy.
  • Testing dietary, body-composition and exercise interventions to improve readiness for and recovery from transplant or cellular therapy.

Languages

Arabic
English

Education and Experience

Fellowship, Hematology, Assiut University; Medical Oncology, South Egypt Cancer Institute; University of Washington

Residency, Internal Medicine and Hematology, Assiut University

MSc, Internal Medicine, Assiut University

MD, Assiut University

MS, Assiut University

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. Sorror

Publications

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians and researchers conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by other physicians 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. Sorror'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.

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Stories

All news
A charming model: new tool evaluates risk of transplant for older patients
A charming model: new tool evaluates risk of transplant for older patients Seven values are evaluated to predict outcomes December 6, 2024
Cancer clinical trials exclude too many patients: That’s changing
Cancer clinical trials exclude too many patients: That’s changing Calls for equity, inclusion and better access boost pre-pandemic efforts to open up eligibility, streamline trials August 11, 2021
New study aims to improve quality of life and survival in older, sicker bone marrow transplant patients
New study aims to improve quality of life and survival in older, sicker bone marrow transplant patients Large clinical trial funded by $3.5M federal research grant October 5, 2018

Contact Information

206.667.6248

206.667.5899