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Medical Oncology
The medical oncologists at ChristianaCare employ the latest care.
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The Latest Advances in Fighting Cancer
A medical oncologist administers chemotherapy or immunotherapy to kill cancer cells. The medical oncologists at ChristianaCare employ the latest advances in cancer-fighting drugs, including the Interleukin 2 (IL-2) therapy for melanoma and kidney cancer, which is available at only a handful of cancer treatment centers around the country.
What is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy, commonly referred to as chemo, uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. It can also stop cancer cells from spreading and slow the growth of cancer cells. Sometimes chemotherapy is used by itself to fight cancer, and other times it is used in conjunction with other treatments such as surgery or radiotherapy.
What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy, also known as biological therapy, is a relatively new addition to the family of cancer treatments. Immunotherapy works with your immune system. It can help your body to fight cancer cells, or it can help to control the side effects from other treatments, such as chemotherapy.
Examples of immunotherapy at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute include IL-2 therapy, which involves the injection of a man-made version of a protein that your body uses to fight off infection, and bone-marrow and stem-cell transplants.
CAR T-cell therapy is another type of immunotherapy that uses your own immune cells to fight cancer. Doctors collect your T cells (a type of white blood cell), then reprogram them in a lab to recognize and attack cancer cells. These modified cells are multiplied and returned to your body to target the cancer. This treatment is used when other standard therapies haven’t worked and offers a promising new option for certain patients.
Meet the Medical Oncology Experts
At the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, we’re welcoming seven outstanding providers to our team. Each brings deep experience, compassion, and dedication to helping you on your cancer journey.
Whether you’re in the middle of treatment or beginning a new chapter, there’s no need to change your care setting or routine. We’re always here for you.
Stephen Eric Rubenstein, M.D.
Stephen Eric Rubenstein, M.D., is a board-certified Medical Oncologist, Hematologist at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. He earned his medical degree from Tel Aviv University and a Master’s from Georgetown University. Dr. Rubenstein completed his residency and fellowship in New York. He has served as a hematology/oncology attending physician and medical director of oncology research. He speaks medical Spanish, French, and Hebrew, and enjoys bass guitar, running, cycling, hiking, American history, writing, and advocacy.
Pramod Vadlamani, M.D.
Pramod Vadlamani, M.D., is a board-certified Medical Oncologist, Hematologist at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. He earned his medical degree from Siddhartha Medical College in India and completed his residency and fellowship in Missouri. Dr. Vadlamani has held roles as an emergency room physician, oncologist, and hospitalist. He is excited to advance his career at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center.
Susan Whelen Schaffer Whiteman, D.O.
Susan Whelen Schaffer Whiteman, D.O., is a board-certified Medical Oncologist, Hematologist at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, specializing in breast and neurological cancers. She earned her medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her training in Delaware, Virginia, and Arizona. Dr. Whiteman has held roles as an attending physician and medical director. She enjoys running, hiking, music, and astrophysics.
Deepak Vadehra, D.O.
Deepak Vadehra, D.O., is a board-certified Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, specializing in gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal cancers. He earned his medical degree and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Connecticut, followed by a hematology/oncology fellowship at the Levine Cancer Institute, where he served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Vadehra previously served as an Assistant Professor of Oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he led programs focused on early-onset colorectal cancer and GI cancer research. He is actively involved in clinical trials and is committed to providing compassionate, patient-centered care while advancing innovative cancer treatments.
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