About

As a physician, I treat patients with variety of hematologic malignancies who are in need of stem cell transplants. Achieving the best treatment outcome is the goal I have for all my patients. I firmly believe that the heartfelt concerns about the wellbeing of my patients and their family enhance the care and treatment experience.

It takes a village to achieve the best care of patients in their battle against complicated blood disorders. I am privileged to work in a world-class medical institution, which not only assures a multidisciplinary approach for patient treatment, but also guarantees every aspect of related medical services needed to ensure the highest quality of care.

As a hematologist specializing in stem cell transplantation, I am committed to making this treatment as safe as possible. The key to successful, potentially curative transplantation lies in better understanding the potential complications and in improving the effectiveness of the procedure while minimizing the risks. Therefore, we strive to rapidly translate scientific findings from the lab in order to reverse the cancer cells’ resistance to treatment. This allows us to offer clinical trials aimed at both common and rare complications related to stem cell transplantation.

I realize how scary it can be to receive a life-threatening diagnosis, and firmly believe in taking the time to clearly communicate with my patients about the nature of their disease and their various treatment options. This can not only vastly improve our patients’ experiences, but also their treatment outcomes, as an educated patient is able to make informed decisions about care and reclaim some of the autonomy that can be lost when coping with a cancer diagnosis.

In the midst of all the cutting-edge science and technology that we offer, I find it extremely important to remember that it is the patient who is the center of it all.  I genuinely care about my patients, and instilling a sense of hope, sharing a laugh, or a kind word can be as important as all the medical advances and state-of-the-art science.

As a third generation physician, I am following in my family’s footsteps to provide compassionate and comprehensive care for patients with cancer, particularly those with aggressive blood cancers that require bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. I work together with a multidisciplinary team to bring the most state-of-the-art, lifesaving transplant options to people with blood disorders and cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. While providing my patients with the best possible results is my top priority, I also feel that it is critical to build a trusting relationship with each of my patients. I view all my patients as individuals and I am there for them every step of the way throughout the entire cancer treatment and transplant process.

My practice is also culturally sensitive. I speak Spanish fluently and strongly believe in improving the health outcomes of underserved populations here in New York City and around the world. I specialize in treating a rare, but very fast-growing and aggressive cancer caused by a virus called the human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 or HTLV-1. This cancer, HTLV-Related Adult T-Cell Leukemia Lymphoma (ATLL), disproportionally impacts Latino and Caribbean Americans, including immigrants and people whose families have come to the United States from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti. I have a long-track record of successful research efforts in this area and the most expertise in the greater New York City area in treating patients with HTLV-Related Adult T-Cell Leukemia Lymphoma.

I am passionate about bringing the newest, most promising treatments to my patients often years before they might otherwise become available. Our haplo-cord transplant program greatly improves the odds that we are able to find donors for all, regardless of age or ethnic background. With this transplant program, we can find an available donor for almost anyone, even those without a sibling or donor registry match.

I have expertise in stem cell / bone marrow transplantation, with over 25 years of experience in this field.  I am the Associate Director of the Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program of New York Presbyterian Hospital – Cornell.  and the Service Chief of the inpatient BMT clinical service. I have major interests in improving the overall safety and effectiveness of transplantation. I also have significant experience in the management of hematological malignancies such as leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplasia, as well as aplastic anemia.  I enjoy teaching residents and fellows management of patients undergoing transplantation and I  have published articles in this field. I also review articles for medical journals relating to stem cell transplantation.I am involved in multiple research trials related to BMT, both as a principal and co investigator and I have represented  NYP Weill Cornell at the Cancer Alliance Clinical Trials Group, the Myeloproliferative  Disease Research group, and the BMT  Clinical Trials Network. However, my main love is caring for patients; I enjoy meeting them, guiding them through the transplant process, and having a true doctor  patient relationship. I am committed to providing the best possible, state of the art care for my patients, with clear explanations and ongoing personal support through difficult situations.

Dr. van Besien is a graduate of the College ND de la Paix in Namur, Belgium and from the University of Leuven, Belgium where he also did his clinical training in Medicine. He holds a PhD from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.He did a hematology/oncology fellowship at Indiana University and in Bruges, Belgium. Afterwards he was on the faculty in the transplant program at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Texas. He directed the Transplant program at the University of Illinois from 1997 until 2001 and the Transplant and Lymphoma programs at the University of Chicago from 2001 until 2011.

Dr. van Besien is the Director of the  Stem Cell Transplant Program,  a  Professor of Medicine  at Weill Cornell Medical College and Attending Physician at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Dr. van Besien has established a national and international reputation with several research and clinical interests. He has devoted considerable efforts at developing novel treatment strategies for patients with recurrent lymphoma, including the introduction of novel drugs and treatment in salvage therapy and in transplant conditioning regimens. He also has developed novel methods of transplantation for those patients who lack matching donors. Most recently his group has described a novel concept of haplo-cord transplantation with extremely encouraging results.

Dr. van Besien has over 210 publications in peer reviewed journals and his research continues to be supported by NIH. He is a member of the editorial review boards of the journals Bone Marrow Transplantation and Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. He is also Editor in Chief of the journal Leukemia and Lymphoma.

Dr. van Besien oversees the transplant program at Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital.

“Deciding on stem cell, umbilical cord or bone marrow transplant is complex. One’s care involves a large number of health care professionals and a team approach. Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital has world class facilities and a transplant team that provides superb care and has access to the latest clinical research. We are lucky to have renowned leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma experts who are intimately involved in the decision process. New York Presbyterian is consistently ranked among the very best hospitals in the nations. If complications arise, we can therefore count on the help of some of the best experts in a variety of disciplines including infectious diseases, pulmonary, gastro-enterology.”