Department of OBGYN

John Comerci, Jr., MD

  • Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
  • Vice Chair, Women's Health Service Line Specialty Services and Referral Physician Relations
  • Director, Gynecologic Oncology at UPMC Hamot
  • Director, Gynecologic Oncology at UPMC Susquehanna

Education & Training

  • M.S., Dartmouth College, Master of Health Care Delivery Science 2016
  • Fellowship, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 1996
  • Residency, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, NJ, 1993
  • Internship, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, 1989
  • M.D., Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, 1988

Representative Publications

  • Gill BS, Kim H, Houser CJ, Kelley JL, Sukumvanich P, Edwards RP, Comerci JT, Olawaiye AB, Huang M, Courtney-Brooks M, Beriwal S. MRI-Guided High-Dose Rate Intracavitary Brachytherapy for Treatment of Cervical Cancer: The University of Pittsburgh Experience. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phy. 2015 March 1;91(3):540-7.
  • Freese KE, Kokai LE, Edwards RP, Philips BJ, Sheikh MA, Kelley JL, Comerci JT, Marra KG, Rubin JP, Linkov F. Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Their Role in Human Cancer Development, Growth, Progression, and Metastasis: A Systematic Review. Cancer Research. Apr 1 2015;75(7):1161-1168.
  • Yu MC, Austin RM, Lin J, Beck T, Beriwal S, Comerci JT, Edwards RP, Sukumvanich P, Kelley JK, Olawaiye AB. The Role of High-Risk Human Papilloma Virus Testing in the Surveillance of Cervical Cancer After Treatment. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2015 Nov;139(11): 1437-40.
  • Sanei-Moghaddam A, Ma T, Goughnour SL, Edwards RP, Lounder PJ, Ismail N, Comerci JT, Mansuria SM, Linkov F. Changes in Hysterectomy Trends After the Implementation of a Clinical Pathway. Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Jan; 127 (1): 139-47.
  • Boisen MM, Vargo JA, Beriwal S, Sukumvanich P, Olawaiye AB, Kelley JL, Edwards RP, Huang M, Courtney-Brooks M, Comerci JT. Surgical Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Extrafascial Hysterectomy After Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy With or Without Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Endometrial Cancer Clinically Extending to the Cervix or Parametria. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2016 Jan 28.
  • Mansuria SM, Comerci J, Edwards R, Sanei Moghaddam A, Ma T, Linkov F. Changes in Hysterectomy Trends and Patient Outcomes Following the Implementation of a Clinical Pathway. Obstet Gynecol. 2016 May;127 Suppl 1:3S.

Clinical/Research Interest Summary

Dr Comerci’s research interests include cervical and ovarian malignancies.

Clinical Interests/Research Interests

Dr Comerci’s research has been primarily focused on utilizing photo-activated agents in the treatment of both pre-invasive and invasive gynecologic disease. His background and experience makes him well-qualified to conduct these types of studies. Specifically, he has investigated the development of Psoralen S-59 as a topical agent in the treatment of cervical dysplasia and in the past has investigated in the use of lutetium Texaphyrin photodynamic therapy in the treatment of cervical dysplasia. He has recently investigated the use of Silicon Phthalocyanine 4 (Pc4) EGFR – Targeted photodynamic therapy using Cerenkov Luminescence Beta-emiting 18F – Deoxyglucose (FDG) in an orthotopic mouse model of cervical cancer.