Alan P. Venook

Alan P. Venook, MD is the Shorenstein Professor of Medical Oncology and Director of the Colorectal Cancer Program at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center in San Francisco. Over more than three decades, he has established himself as one of the foremost authorities on the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and the biological implications of primary tumor location. Dr. Venook is best known for leading CALGB/SWOG 80405, one of the largest randomized trials in mCRC, which compared cetuximab versus bevacizumab added to chemotherapy in first-line KRAS wild-type patients. The trial not only addressed a central question in mCRC treatment strategy but generated the seminal observation that primary tumor sidedness—right-sided versus left-sided colon cancer—is a powerful and independent predictor of survival outcomes and response to anti-EGFR therapy, fundamentally reshaping how clinicians approach treatment selection in mCRC. Beyond CALGB/SWOG 80405, Dr. Venook has contributed extensively to understanding the molecular heterogeneity of colorectal cancer, the management of colorectal liver metastases, and hepatocellular carcinoma. He has mentored dozens of junior investigators, authored hundreds of publications, and served in leadership roles for ASCO, NCI cooperative groups, and major CRC advocacy organizations.