The research of James W. Jakub, M.D., focuses on oncologic surgery, with an emphasis on breast cancer and melanoma. His research in this area is broad, reflecting the breadth of his clinical practice.
Dr. Jakub's major academic interest is sentinel lymph node biology. He is exploring ways the tumor and immune system interact, hoping to intercede and restore the regional immune response. Sentinel lymph node surgery has significantly advanced how patients are treated for many types of malignancies. Expanding on this work, he is exploring ways to make lymph node surgery less invasive. Minimally invasive (laparoscopic) groin dissections are a relatively new procedure, and Dr. Jakub and his team are leaders in this field. He is currently the principal investigator for a multi-institutional trial evaluating this technique.