Melisa Wong, MD, MAS, AGSF

melisa.wong@kp.org

Wong, Melisa

Melisa Wong, MD, MAS, AGSF is a Research Scientist in the Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California and Associate Adjunct Professor in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Wong is a thoracic medical oncologist and geriatric oncology clinician-investigator. Her research program aims to transform cancer care for older adults — to help patients clarify their goals and values in the face of uncertainty and to support oncologists to keep these truths at the core of the care they provide. Dr. Wong is a National Institute on Aging Beeson K76 scholar and is especially interested in improving the care of older adults with lung cancer.

Dr. Wong completed medical school and training in internal medicine and medical oncology at UCSF. In addition, she completed advanced research training as an Aging Research Fellow in the UCSF Division of Geriatrics and earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Research in the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Nationally, Dr. Wong serves in a number of geriatric oncology leadership positions including the American Society of Clinical Oncology Geriatric Oncology Community of Practice and Geriatric Oncology Education Committee, Cancer and Aging Research Group Health Services Core, and Editorial Board for the Journal of Geriatric Oncology.

Current positions

  • Research Scientist II, Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
  • Associate Physician, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center
  • Associate Adjunct Professor, Division of Geriatrics, University of California, San Francisco

Section:

Primary research interests

  • Geriatric oncology
  • Lung cancer
  • Patient-centered outcomes and treatment tolerability
  • Shared decision making and communication

Studies

Predicting trajectories of function, cognition, and quality of life among older adults with advanced lung cancer

Older adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the leading cause of cancer mortality, are at increased risk for treatment toxicity, which can lead to impairments in physical function, cognition, and quality of life (QOL). Maintaining function, cognition, and QOL is critically important to older cancer survivors, especially as they are living longer with advanced cancer where toxicity is often cumulative. Older survivors with advanced NSCLC currently lack vital information about how treatment will affect these patient-centered survivorship outcomes that they need to make informed decisions about their cancer care. The overarching goal of this proposal is to develop and validate prediction models for trajectories of function, cognition, and QOL among survivors age 65 and older with advanced NSCLC during up to 6 months of chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy with non-curative intent.

Investigator: Wong, Melisa

Funder: National Cancer Institute

Lung cancer in older adults: Treatment experience through the patient’s lens (Lens Study)

This multisite prospective cohort study will characterize changes in patient-centered outcomes including function, cognition, and quality of life among older adults with advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and/or targeted therapy.

Investigator: Wong, Melisa

Funder: National Institute on Aging

Improving decision making for older adults with cancer: A feasibility pilot study

This is a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial to determine the feasibility and acceptability of training medical oncologists to use the Best Case/Worst Case-Geriatric Oncology communication tool in clinical practice with older adults with cancer (NCT05374304).

Investigator: Wong, Melisa

Funder: National Institute on Aging

Publications

Multifactorial conceptual model of cancer-related accelerated aging

Authors: Morse L;Weiss S;Ritchie CS;Wong ML;Hoffmann T;Wallhagen M;Miaskowski C

NPJ Aging. 2026 Jan 16;12(1):29 doi:10.1038/s41514-025-00328-8. Epub 2026 Jan 16.

PubMed abstract

Functional resilience and overall survival in adults treated for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Authors: Presley, Carolyn J;Tang, Joy;Benedict, Jason;Grogan, Madison;Reisinger, Sarah;Janse, Sarah;Wong, Melisa L;Arrato, Nicole A;Davenport, Ashley;Shields, Peter G;Andersen, Barbara L

Lung Cancer. 2024 Oct;196:107953. Epub 2024-09-07.

PubMed abstract

Function, cognition, and quality of life among older adults with lung cancer who live alone: A prospective cohort study

Authors: Singhal, Surbhi;Kushi, Lawrence H;Sakoda, Lori C;Quesenberry, Charles P;Wong, Melisa L;Wong, Melisa L;et al.

J Geriatr Oncol. 2024 Sep 16;15(8):102068. Epub 2024-09-16.

PubMed abstract

Representativeness of Patients With Lung Cancer in an Integrated Health Care Delivery System

Authors: Yang, Mike Z;Kushi, Lawrence H;Quesenberry, Charles P;Velotta, Jeffrey B;Wong, Melisa L;Young-Wolff, Kelly C;Sakoda, Lori C;Sakoda, Lori C;et al.

Perm J. 2024 Sep 16;28(3):13-22. Epub 2024-06-12.

PubMed abstract

Receipt of financial assistance for oral targeted therapy among older adults with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A prospective cohort study

Authors: Kumar, Anika;Ragavan, Meera;Velazquez, Ana I;Zeng, Sandra;Wong, Melisa L

J Geriatr Oncol. 2024 Mar 14:101746.

PubMed abstract

Stability and consistency of symptom clusters in younger versus older patients receiving chemotherapy

Authors: Morse, Lisa;Wong, Melisa L;Miaskowski, Christine;et al.

BMC Geriatr. 2024 Feb 16;24(1):164. Epub 2024-02-16.

PubMed abstract

Change in four measures of physical function among older adults during lung cancer treatment: A mixed methods cohort study.

Authors: Singhal, Surbhi;Mohile, Supriya G;Wong, Melisa L;et al.

J Geriatr Oncol. 2023 Mar;14(2):101366. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2022.08.015. Epub 2022 Sep 1.

PubMed abstract

“You have to be sure that the patient has the full picture”: Adaptation of the Best Case/Worst Case communication tool for geriatric oncology.

Authors: Wong, Melisa L;Nicosia, Francesca M;Smith, Alexander K;Walter, Louise C;Lam, Vivian;Cohen, Harvey Jay;Loh, Kah Poh;Mohile, Supriya G;Ursem, Carling J;Schwarze, Margaret L

J Geriatr Oncol. 2022 Jun;13(5):606-613. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2022.01.014. Epub 2022 Feb 2.

PubMed abstract

Changes in older adults’ life space during lung cancer treatment: A mixed methods cohort study.

Authors: Wong, Melisa L;Walter, Louise C;et al.

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022 Jan;70(1):136-149. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17474. Epub 2021 Oct 5.

PubMed abstract

Immunotherapy in Older Adults With Cancer.

Authors: Presley, Carolyn J;Gomes, Fabio;Burd, Christin E;Kanesvaran, Ravindran;Wong, Melisa L

J Clin Oncol. 2021 Jul 01;39(19):2115-2127. doi: 10.1200/JCO.21.00138. Epub 2021 May 27.

PubMed abstract

Expanding Beyond Maximum Grade: Chemotherapy Toxicity over Time by Age and Performance Status in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in CALGB 9730 (Alliance A151729).

Authors: Wong, Melisa L;Wang, Xiaofei;et al.

Oncologist. 2021 Mar;26(3):e435-e444. doi: 10.1002/onco.13527. Epub 2020 Oct 1.

PubMed abstract

Predictors of the multidimensional symptom experience of lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Authors: Wong, Melisa L;Paul, Steven M;Cooper, Bruce A;Dunn, Laura B;Hammer, Marilyn J;Conley, Yvette P;Wright, Fay;Levine, Jon D;Walter, Louise C;Cartwright, Frances;Miaskowski, Christine

Support Care Cancer. 2017 Jun;25(6):1931-1939. doi: 10.1007/s00520-017-3593-z. Epub 2017 Feb 3.

PubMed abstract

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