Gustavo Adolfo Rivero, MD

Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

Gustavo Rivero, MD, is a dual fellowship-trained hematology and medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of acute and chronic leukemia. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Rivero is an Associate Professor at the Department of Medicine at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Before joining MedStar Health, Dr. Rivero worked in Oncology services at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and as an Associate Professor  of Hematology and Oncology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

Dr. Rivero’s areas of clinical expertise include:

• Acute and chronic myeloid leukemias
• Acute and chronic lymphoid leukemias
• Myelodysplastic syndrome
• Myeloproliferative Neoplasm
• Clonal hematopoiesis of indetermined potential (CHIP)

Dr. Rivero is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care. He believes in listening carefully to his patients to engage in a meaningful therapeutic, humanistic, comprehensive approach to treating leukemia. As part of the multidisciplinary team, he works closely with a team of other medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, nurses, and patient advocates.

Dr. Rivero received his medical degree at Francisco de Miranda University in Santa Ana de Coro, Venezuela, and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois. He completed a dual fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Rivero’s research focus:

Dr. Rivero’s research focuses on studying and designing clinical trials to improve the outcome of Leukemias (a bone marrow malignancy disorder that compromises the normal production of red and white cells and platelets). He has participated in investigator-initiated trials [IIT] exploring the anti-inflammatory effect of commonly used serotonin-reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of low-risk myelodysplastic syndrome [MDS]. Additionally, he was co-investigator in several multi-institutional studies evaluating the use of monoclonal antibodies that reactivate the immune system (cells that fight leukemia) to target acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and MDS. He also has a special interest in understanding the “origin of leukemia” [How cells acquire genomic/DNA changes modifications]. He is lead of the MyeloHub Acute Leukemia Multi-Institutional Consortium, a collaborative effort that seeks to integrate large genomic AML (and other hemopoietic myeloid malignancies) data into prevention, trial design and investigation of ethnic disparity outcome, among others.

Dr. Rivero’s philosophy of care
“Medical oncology is a unique area of medicine in which the relationship between the patient and their medical team forms a critical part of their journey. Developing continuity of care with each patient and their support network, while getting to know the person behind the diagnosis, is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my clinical work.”  – Dr. Rivero

About MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute
MedStar Georgetown is part of the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute, which combines medical expertise, the latest therapies, and research across MedStar Health. Our research engine, the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Washington, D.C., region. We are privileged to offer patients progressive, state-of-the-art evaluation, research, and therapies for all forms of cancer.