Anteneh A Tesfaye, MD

Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

Anteneh Tesfaye, MD, is a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Prior to joining MedStar Washington, Dr. Tesfaye served as an assistant professor at the NCI designated Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute/Wayne State University in Detroit, MI for five years, where he treated patients with gastrointestinal and neuroendocrine cancers.

Dr. Tesfaye specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with cancers of the digestive tract, including the esophagus, stomach, liver, biliary tract, pancreas, colon, rectum, and anus. He also specializes in treating neuroendocrine cancers. He is part of the multidisciplinary team that makes up the Center for Gastrointestinal Malignancies at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He treats his patients utilizing the latest tools in the field of oncologic medicine, including tumor molecular profiling, cancer genomics, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and various chemotherapy regimens.

In his prior appointment at Wayne State University, Dr. Tesfaye was Principal Investigator for various research studies and hopes to continue his research endeavors at MedStar Washington. He is passionate about improving access to clinical trials to patients from various sociodemographic backgrounds. During his tenure at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, he served on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T), the Peer Review, and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Committees.

With a strong belief in a team approach to care, Dr. Tesfaye works closely with members of the multidisciplinary gastrointestinal oncology team to streamline the care of his patients, while ensuring their access to the latest treatments in the fields of surgical and radiation oncology.

His research interests include developing new treatment options for neuroendocrine tumors and upper digestive tract cancers. He also has a great interest in improving disparities in access to clinical trials, where patients gain early access to the potential drugs of tomorrow.

Dr. Tesfaye received his medical degree from Gondar University College of Medical Sciences in Ethiopia. He then completed a three-year residency in internal medicine at Michigan State University, prior to completing a three-year specialty fellowship in hematology/oncology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Philosophy of care
“Cancer is no longer a disease that is treated by only one doctor. A multidisciplinary approach, where patients receive the latest treatments in various specialties, is of paramount importance for the best treatment outcomes. I play a key role in coordinating my patients’ care across multiple disciplines. When patients come to see me for cancer treatment, they benefit from the collective expertise of specialists at MedStar Health. We make sure that they have access to all the cutting-edge technologies and treatments available in order to achieve the best outcome of their treatment.

“My philosophy of care is to provide a whole-person approach to each patient. In addition to providing cancer-specific treatment, I spend time with my patients to understand how various facets of their life, including emotional, nutritional, social, and financial well-being, are affected by cancer and its treatment. We make sure the patients’ cancer-related symptoms are adequately controlled so that they are able to function to the best of their abilities.

“I enjoy getting to know my patients and their personal stories. I strive to listen to their concerns and address them to their satisfaction. Keeping my patients’ best interests at the center of each interaction, I make myself available to referring physicians for efficient care coordination.”