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

Aggarwal C, Leighl NB.: Next-generation ctDNA-driven clinical trials in precision immuno-oncology. J Immunother Cancer. 11 (1): e006397,2023.

Yegya-Raman N, Kegelman TP, Ho Lee S, Kallan MJ, Kim KN, Natarajan J, Deek MP, Zou W, O'Reilly SE, Zhang Z, Levin W, Cengel K, Kao G, Cohen RB, Sun LL, Langer CJ, Aggarwal C, Singh AP, O'Quinn R, Ky B, Apte A, Deasy J, Xiao Y, Berman AT, Jabbour SK, Feigenberg SJ.: Death without progression as an endpoint to describe cardiac radiation effects in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 39 : 100581,2023.

Kim KN, Heintz J, Yegya-Raman N, Cohen R, Kegelman T, Cengel K, Marmarelis M, Sun L, Langer C, Aggarwal C, Singh A, Singhal S, Kucharczuk J, Robinson K, Feigenberg S.: Toxicities and Deaths From Intercurrent Disease Following Contemporary Postoperative Radiotherapy in Resected Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Lung Cancer. S1525-7304 (22): 2022.

Aggarwal C, Saba NF, Algazi A, Sukari A, Seiwert TY, Haigentz M, Porosnicu M, Bonomi M, Boyer J, Esser MT, Cheng LI, Agrawal S, Jennings EC, Durham NM, Fraser K, Lissa D, Gong M, Ceaicovscaia N, Gasco Hernandez A, Kumar R.: Safety and Efficacy of MEDI0457 Plus Durvalumab in Patients With Human Papillomavirus-associated Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. : 2022.

Yeung V, Sackstein P, Grant NN, Krochmal R, Gandhi N, Aggarwal C, Halmos B, Reuss JE, Liu SV, Kim C.: Use of Erdafitinib in FGFR3-Mutated Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis. JCO Precis Oncol. 6 : e2200435,2022.

Mountzios G, Aggarwal C.: Pembrolizumab Administration Frequency, Dose Exposure, and Toxicity: Is Switching Safe? J Thorac Oncol. 17 (10): 1155-1157,2022.

Kurzrock R, Aggarwal C, Weipert C, Kiedrowski L, Riess J, Lenz HJ, Gandara D.: Prevalence of ARID1A Mutations in Cell-Free Circulating Tumor DNA in a Cohort of 71,301 Patients and Association with Driver Co-Alterations. Cancers (Basel) 14 (17): 4281,2022.

Aggarwal C, Gyawali B: Aumolertinib in EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancer: Will the Promise of Cost Disruption Ease Access? Journal of Clinical Oncology 40 (27): 3103-3105,2022.

Vega DM, Nishimura KK, Zariffa N, Thompson JC, Hoering A, Cilento V, Rosenthal A, Anagnostou V, Baden J, Beaver JA, Chaudhuri AA, Chudova D, Fine AD, Fiore J, Hodge R, Hodgson D, Hunkapiller N, Klass DM, Kobie J, Peña C, Pennello G, Peterman N, Philip R, Quinn KJ, Raben D, Rosner GL, Sausen M, Tezcan A, Xia Q, Yi J, Young AG, Stewart MD, Carpenter EL, Aggarwal C, Allen J.: Changes in Circulating Tumor DNA Reflect Clinical Benefit Across Multiple Studies of Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. JCO Precis Oncol. 6 : e2100372 ,2022.

Singh A, Horng H, Roshkovan L, Weeks JK, Hershman M, Noël P, Luna JM, Cohen EA, Pantalone L, Shinohara RT, Bauml JM, Thompson JC, Aggarwal C, Carpenter EL, Katz SI, Kontos D.: Development of a robust radiomic biomarker of progression-free survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line immunotherapy Scientific Reports 12 (1): 9993,2022.

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