Sign In

En Cheng, MD, PhD

People

Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
2000 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94612

510-891-3686 (phone)
en.cheng@kp.org


En Cheng, MD, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. He is dedicated to promoting the adoption and integration of cancer research findings into everyday practice and public health settings to improve the health and healthcare of the population. His research focuses on long-term survival and causes of death after cancer diagnosis; health outcomes among young cancer populations; the development of novel prediction models for individualized survival after cancer diagnosis; the effects of diet, lifestyle, energy balance, and body composition on cancer risk, survival, and treatment-related complications; and disparities in healthcare and health outcomes among cancer survivors.

Dr. Cheng received his MD from Peking University and earned his PhD in epidemiology at Yale University. He also holds an MSPH in epidemiology from Emory University.

Current Position(s):

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Section Affiliations:

Primary Research Interests:

  • Cancer
  • Early-onset cancer
  • Survival
  • Obesity
  • Diet and lifestyle
  • Health disparities

    Develop and Validate Novel Body Composition Scores to Predict Survival in Breast Cancer Patients

    Researchers have typically investigated how each body compartment may be individually associated with poor survival and other cancer outcomes. This ignores synergistic effects of adipose tissue and muscle on inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and chemotherapy dosing, which collectively influence cancer prognosis. We aim to develop and validate novel composite scores of body compositions to predict breast cancer survival.
    Investigator: Cheng, En
    Funder: Section Pilot Grants

    Assess Inflammatory Potential of Diet Among Breast Cancer Patients: Novel Index and Short-Form Questionnaire

    Inflammation impacts cancer progression via stimulating tumor proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. As a key regulator of inflammation, post-diagnosis diet strongly influences risk of breast cancer recurrence and mortality. We propose to develop an inflammatory dietary index for breast cancer patients that predicts canonical plasma inflammatory biomarkers. We will also design a brief inflammatory dietary questionnaire as a feasible dietary screener for clinical use.
    Investigator: Cheng, En
    Funder: The Permanente Medical Group

    Adipose tissue radiodensity and mortality among patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Caan, Bette J; Chen, Wendy Y; Irwin, Melinda L; Prado, Carla M; Cespedes Feliciano, Elizabeth M

    Clin Nutr. 2022 Dec;41(12):2607-2613. Epub 2022-10-04.

    PubMed abstract

    Diet- and Lifestyle-Based Prediction Models to Estimate Cancer Recurrence and Death in Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer (CALGB 89803/Alliance)

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Fuchs, Charles S; et al.

    J Clin Oncol. 2022 03 01;40(7):740-751. Epub 2022-01-07.

    PubMed abstract

    Neighborhood and Individual Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Survival Among Patients With Nonmetastatic Common Cancers

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Soulos, Pamela R; Irwin, Melinda L; Cespedes Feliciano, Elizabeth M; Presley, Carolyn J; Fuchs, Charles S; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A; Gross, Cary P

    JAMA Netw Open. 2021 12 01;4(12):e2139593. Epub 2021-12-01.

    PubMed abstract

    Analysis of Survival Among Adults With Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer in the National Cancer Database.

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Blackburn, Holly N; Ng, Kimmie; Spiegelman, Donna; Irwin, Melinda L; Ma, Xiaomei; Gross, Cary P; Tabung, Fred K; Giovannucci, Edward L; Kunz, Pamela L; Llor, Xavier; Billingsley, Kevin; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A; Ahuja, Nita; Fuchs, Charles S

    JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Jun 1;4(6):e2112539. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.12539.

    PubMed abstract

    Association of Inflammatory Biomarkers With Survival Among Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Caan, Bette J; Cespedes Feliciano, Elizabeth M; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A; et al.

    JAMA Oncol. 2023 Mar 01;9(3):404-413.

    PubMed abstract

    Adipose tissue radiodensity and mortality among patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Caan, Bette J; Chen, Wendy Y; Irwin, Melinda L; Prado, Carla M; Cespedes Feliciano, Elizabeth M

    Clin Nutr. 2022 Dec;41(12):2607-2613. Epub 2022-10-04.

    PubMed abstract

    Adiposity and cancer survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Kirley, Jocelyn; Cespedes Feliciano, Elizabeth M; Caan, Bette J

    Cancer Causes Control. 2022 Oct;33(10):1219-1246. Epub 2022-08-15.

    PubMed abstract

    The association of abdominal adiposity with premature discontinuation of postoperative chemotherapy in colon cancer

    Author(s): Brown, Justin C; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A; Cespedes Feliciano, Elizabeth M; Cheng, En; Caan, Bette J

    Clin Nutr. 2022 Jul;41(7):1600-1604. Epub 2022-05-27.

    PubMed abstract

    Long-Term Survival and Causes of Death After Diagnoses of Common Cancers in 3 Cohorts of US Health Professionals

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Lee, Dong Hoon; Tamimi, Rulla M; Hankinson, Susan E; Willett, Walter C; Giovannucci, Edward L; Eliassen, A Heather; Stampfer, Meir J; Mucci, Lorelei A; Fuchs, Charles S; Spiegelman, Donna

    JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2022 Mar 02;6(2).

    PubMed abstract

    Diet- and Lifestyle-Based Prediction Models to Estimate Cancer Recurrence and Death in Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer (CALGB 89803/Alliance)

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Fuchs, Charles S; et al.

    J Clin Oncol. 2022 03 01;40(7):740-751. Epub 2022-01-07.

    PubMed abstract

    Neighborhood and Individual Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Survival Among Patients With Nonmetastatic Common Cancers

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Soulos, Pamela R; Irwin, Melinda L; Cespedes Feliciano, Elizabeth M; Presley, Carolyn J; Fuchs, Charles S; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A; Gross, Cary P

    JAMA Netw Open. 2021 12 01;4(12):e2139593. Epub 2021-12-01.

    PubMed abstract

    Analysis of Survival Among Adults With Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer in the National Cancer Database.

    Author(s): Cheng, En; Blackburn, Holly N; Ng, Kimmie; Spiegelman, Donna; Irwin, Melinda L; Ma, Xiaomei; Gross, Cary P; Tabung, Fred K; Giovannucci, Edward L; Kunz, Pamela L; Llor, Xavier; Billingsley, Kevin; Meyerhardt, Jeffrey A; Ahuja, Nita; Fuchs, Charles S

    JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Jun 1;4(6):e2112539. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.12539.

    PubMed abstract

    Post-diagnosis dietary insulinemic potential and survival outcomes among colorectal cancer patients.

    Author(s): Tabung FK; Noonan A; Lee DH; Song M; Clinton SK; Spakowicz D; Wu K; Cheng E; Meyerhardt JA; Fuchs CS; Giovannucci EL

    BMC Cancer. 2020 Aug 27;20(1):817. doi: 10.1186/s12885-020-07288-0.

    PubMed abstract

    Geographic Variations of Potentially Curative Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the United States: A SEER-Medicare Study.

    Author(s): Cheng E; Hung P; Wang SY

    J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2020 Jun;18(6):729-736. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2020.7529.

    PubMed abstract

    Clinical Utilization and Cost of Thrombophilia Testing in Patients with Venous Thromboembolism.

    Author(s): Gaddh M; Cheng E; Elsebaie MAT; Bodo I

    TH Open. 2020 Aug 9;4(3):e153-e162. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1714334. eCollection 2020 Jul.

    PubMed abstract

    The Diet of Higher Insulinemic Potential Is Not Associated with Worse Survival in Patients with Stage III Colon Cancer (Alliance).

    Author(s): Cheng E; Zhang S; Ou FS; Mullen B; Ng K; Saltz LB; Niedzwiecki D; Mayer RJ; Mowat RB; Whittom R; Hantel A; Benson A; Atienza D; Messino M; Kindler H; Giovannucci EL; Van Blarigan EL; Meyerhardt JA; Fuchs CS

    Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020 Aug;29(8):1692-1695. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-1454. Epub 2020 Jun 4.

    PubMed abstract

    Outcomes of direct oral anticoagulant- and warfarin-associated hemorrhage: A single center retrospective cohort study.

    Author(s): Cafuir L; Cheng E; Kempton C

    Thromb Res. 2020 May;189:128-131. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2019.09.001. Epub 2019 Sep 3.

    PubMed abstract

    Associations of evolutionary-concordance diet, Mediterranean diet and evolutionary-concordance lifestyle pattern scores with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

    Author(s): Cheng E; Um CY; Prizment A; Lazovich D; Bostick RM

    Br J Nutr. 2018 Dec 18:1-10. doi: 10.1017/S0007114518003483.

    PubMed abstract

    Evolutionary-Concordance Lifestyle and Diet and Mediterranean Diet Pattern Scores and Risk of Incident Colorectal Cancer in Iowa Women.

    Author(s): Cheng E; Um CY; Prizment AE; Lazovich D; Bostick RM

    Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2018 Oct;27(10):1195-1202. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-17-1184. Epub 2018 Aug 14.

    PubMed abstract

    Health care disparities among octogenarians and nonagenarians with stage II and III rectal cancer.

    Author(s): Cassidy RJ; Switchenko JM; Cheng E; Jiang R; Jhaveri J; Patel KR; Tanenbaum DG; Russell MC; Steuer CE; Gillespie TW; McDonald MW; Landry JC

    Cancer. 2017 Nov 15;123(22):4325-4336. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30896. Epub 2017 Jul 31.

    PubMed abstract

    Proton vs. Photon Radiation Therapy for Primary Gliomas: An Analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

    Author(s): Jhaveri J; Cheng E; Tian S; Buchwald Z; Chowdhary M; Liu Y; Gillespie TW; Olson JJ; Diaz AZ; Voloschin A; Eaton BR; Crocker IR; McDonald MW; Curran WJ; Patel KR

    Front Oncol. 2018 Nov 28;8:440. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00440. eCollection 2018.

    PubMed abstract