Sarcoma
Sarcomas are rare cancers arising from connective tissues — muscle, fat, bone, cartilage, blood vessels, and nerves — and encompass more than 70 histologically distinct subtypes, each with its own biology, behavior, and treatment approach. They arise throughout the body, occurring across all ages from childhood through old age, and optimal management requires subspecialty expertise that extends well beyond general oncology practice.
Dr. Ryan founded and currently directs the Sarcoma Research Program at OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, having built one of the region's principal academic sarcoma programs. He has led and contributed to landmark sarcoma clinical trials, lectured on sarcoma management and research at national and international oncology meetings, and published extensively on sarcoma treatment, staging, and multi-modality therapy, including widely cited UpToDate contributions used as clinical references.
Subtypes include
Liposarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma
Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma
Synovial Sarcoma
Myxofibrosarcoma
Angiosarcoma
MPNST
Epithelioid Sarcoma
Osteosarcoma
Chondrosarcoma
Ewing Sarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma
TGCT
Desmoid Tumor
† TGCT and desmoid tumor are benign but locally aggressive connective tissue neoplasms managed within sarcoma programs due to their clinical complexity and overlap with sarcoma care.
Genitourinary Oncology
Genitourinary cancers — of the kidney, prostate, bladder, and testis — each carry distinct biology, treatment paradigms, and standards of care that have evolved substantially over the past two decades. Dr. Ryan has directed academic GU oncology research at OHSU, led national clinical trials, and published extensively across the GU spectrum. He has lectured nationally and internationally on GU cancer management and served as a peer reviewer for leading oncology journals.
Renal cell carcinoma — his work spans more than 25 years and encompasses the full arc of systemic therapy — from early VEGF-directed agents through contemporary checkpoint immunotherapy combinations — with particular depth in adjuvant therapy, risk stratification, and clinical trial design.
Prostate cancer — he has contributed to major trials across the disease spectrum, from localized disease management through hormone-sensitive and castration-resistant metastatic settings. An earlier research focus on bone loss and skeletal complications from androgen deprivation therapy reflects the breadth of his engagement with prostate cancer beyond systemic antitumor therapy alone.
Bladder and urothelial cancers — his clinical research and practice have tracked the paradigm shifts brought by immunotherapy and targeted agents in muscle-invasive and metastatic disease, informing a nuanced understanding of current standards and their application.
Testicular germ cell tumors — optimal outcomes depend on precise staging, accurate risk stratification, and careful treatment selection balancing efficacy and long-term toxicity. Decisions about treatment intensity, the role of post-chemotherapy surgery, and management of residual disease require subspecialty depth that goes well beyond general oncology training. Dr. Ryan brings extensive clinical and experiential knowledge across the full spectrum of germ cell tumor management.
