Tiffany N. Tanaka, MD

Tiffany N. Tanaka, MD, is a board-certified hematologist and medical oncologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of people with cancers of the blood and lymph system, with an emphasis on myeloid malignancies including myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute leukemia.

Dr. Tanaka is a transplant physician for the joint UC San Diego Health / Sharp HealthCare Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) Program, which provides comprehensive blood and marrow transplant services, including autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Dr. Tanaka also offers chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy to patients with hematologic malignancies.CAR T-cell therapy harnesses the patient's own immune cells to recognize and kill cancer cells.

As an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego, Dr. Tanaka instructs medical students, residents and fellows. Her research interests include the development of early-phase trials that offer new cancer treatments for patients. Her research work includes the study of genetic and immune biomarkers in myelodysplastic syndromes (bone marrow disorders in which the bone marrow does not produce enough healthy blood cells), with the aim of translating these into clinical therapies to improve patient care. Dr. Tanaka is a member of the American Society of Hematology, where she has presented her research work.

Dr. Tanaka completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, where she also completed a residency in internal medicine. She earned her medical degree from John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai'i. She is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology.

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For more information, see Blood Disorder Care, Blood Cancers and Cancer Care.