Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Aggarwal is the Leslye Heisler Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Hematology-Oncology Division at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. She is an active member of the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) where she serves as Physician Leader for the clinical research program for Airways Malignancies.

Dr. Aggarwal specializes in the management of patients with lung and head and neck cancer, with a specific and clinical research focus on the development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches, and the discovery and application of biomarkers to guide therapy and monitor treatment. She serves as the local and national principle investigator for multiple clinical trials focusing on the development of “targeted” immunotherapeutic approaches including cellular therapy and CAR-T for solid tumors. Dr. Aggarwal has led the development of a DNA plasmid based HPV specific immunotherapy for HPV associated head and neck cancers. She is actively involved in evaluating the role of plasma-based NGS in management of patients with metastatic lung cancer.

She has extensive experience in the planning, design and execution of clinical trials, is an active member of ECOG, and has served as a national sub-study chair for SWOG-NCI’s LUNG-MAP. She has served on the Annual Meeting Scientific Program Committee of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), ASCO Education Committee, NCI- Head and Neck Metastatic Task Force Steering Committee and ACC’s Data Safety and Monitoring Committee. Dr. Aggarwal’s ultimate goal as a clinical and translational investigator is to perform patient-centered, scientifically relevant novel immunotherapy clinical trials that will make a tangible impact and advance our understanding of immunotherapy in patients with Lung and Head and Neck Cancer.

Selected Publications

Yegya-Raman N, Friedes C, Lee SH, Iocolano M, Duan L, Wang X, Li B, Aggarwal C, Cohen RB, Su W, Doucette A, Levin WP, Cengel KA, DiBardino D, Teo BK, O'Reilly SE, Sun L, Bradley JD, Xiao Y, Langer CJ, Feigenberg SJ.: Pneumonitis rates before and after adoption of immunotherapy consolidation in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. S0360-3016 (23): 07815-X,2023.

Yegya-Raman N, Berman AT, Ciunci CA, Friedes C, Berlin E, Iocolano M, Wang X, Lai C, Levin WP, Cengel KA, O'Reilly SE, Cohen RB, Aggarwal C, Marmarelis ME, Singh AP, Sun L, Bradley JD, Plastaras JP, Simone CB 2nd, Langer CJ, Feigenberg SJ: Phase II trial of consolidation pembrolizumab after proton reirradiation for thoracic recurrences of non-small cell lung cancer: Pembro after PBT ReRT for NSCLC. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. S0360-3016 (23): 07846-X,2023.

Aggarwal C, Gong M, Kumar R.: MEDI0457 Plus Durvalumab in HPV-associated HNSCC-Response. Clin Cancer Res. 29 (14): 2736,2023.

Aggarwal C, Liu SV.: Zipalertinib in EGFR Exon 20-Mutant Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Drug Development in a Rare but Crowded Setting. J Clin Oncol. JCO2300958 : 2023.

Gutierrez M, Lam WS, Hellmann MD, Gubens MA, Aggarwal C, Tan DSW, Felip E, Chiu JWY, Lee JS, Yang JC, Garon EB, Finocchiaro G, Ahn MJ, Luft A, Landers GA, Basso A, Ma H, Kobie J, Palcza J, Cristescu R, Fong L, Snyder A, Yuan J, Herbst RS.: Biomarker-directed, pembrolizumab-based combination therapy in non-small cell lung cancer: phase 2 KEYNOTE-495/KeyImPaCT trial interim results. Nat Med. : 2023.

Tompkins WP, Hwang WT, Yang YX, Singh A, Ciunci C, D'Avella C, Aggarwal C, Cohen RB, Langer CJ, Mamtani R, Marmarelis ME: Brief Report: Second-line treatment outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC previously treated with first-line immunotherapy regimens. Clin Lung Cancer. S1525-7304 (23): 00124-9,2023.

Sun L, Bleiberg B, Hwang WT, Marmarelis ME, Langer CJ, Singh A, Cohen RB, Mamtani R, Aggarwal C.: Association Between Duration of Immunotherapy and Overall Survival in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer JAMA Oncol. : 2023.

Simone CB, Yegya-Raman N, Manjunath S, Verma V, Shabason JE, Xu L, Cengel KA, Levin WP, Berman AT, Christodouleas JP, Aggarwal C, Cohen RB, Langer CJ, Pechet TT, Singal S, Kucharczuk JC, Rengan R, Feigenberg SJ.: Prospective Feasibility and Phase I/II Trial of Preoperative Proton Beam Therapy with Concurrent Chemotherapy for Resectable Stage IIIA or Superior Sulcus Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. S0360-3016 (23): 00463-7,2023.

Sun L, Marmarelis M, Aggarwal C.: Re-Evaluating Real-World Evidence in RET Fusion-Positive NSCLC: Are Randomized Clinical Trials Needed? J Thorac Oncol. 18 (5): 549-551,2023.

Aggarwal C, Ben-Shachar R, Gao Y, Hyun SW, Rivers Z, Epstein C, Kaneva K, Sangli C, Nimeiri H, Patel J.: Assessment of Tumor Mutational Burden and Outcomes in Patients With Diverse Advanced Cancers Treated With Immunotherapy. JAMA Netw Open. 6 (5): e2311181,2023.

Academic Contact Information

Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
10-137, South Pavilion
3400 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-662-6318
Patient appointments: 800-789-7366