Richard Terek, MD
Coro West, Suite 402
1 Hoppin Street Providence, RI 02903
Biography
Richard M. Terek, MD, a specialist in adult reconstructive surgery and musculoskeletal oncology, is an attending orthopedic surgeon at the Miriam and Rhode Island Hospitals.
Dr. Terek performs hip and knee replacements for patients with arthritis at the Total Joint Center at The Miriam Hospital.
Dr. Terek is also an expert in the treatment of patients with osteogenic sarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, soft-tissue sarcoma, metastatic cancer (cancers such as breast, prostate or lung which have spread to the bones), and benign bone and soft tissue tumors. These tumors occur in both children and adults. Treatment usually includes removing the tumor and limb or pelvis reconstruction is performed with combinations of artificial joints and bone grafts. Experts in pediatric, adult, and radiation oncology work with Dr. Terek at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital as part of a multidisciplinary team to cure patients.
Dr. Terek received the prestigious R01 grant from National Institutes of Health. The Research Project Grant (R01) is the original and historically oldest grant mechanism used by NIH. The R01 provides support for health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH.
Research
The orthopaedic oncology laboratory is devoted to elucidating the molecular genetic underpinnings of orthopaedic tumors. A long-term commitment has been made to studying cartilaginous neoplasms for two reasons. The first is to better understand the pathobiology of chondrosarcoma and to identify molecular markers to aid in grading and predicting response to treatment. The second is to glean some insights into chondrogenesis. Contemporary molecular biology techniques are being used to clone novel differentially expressed genes from chondrosarcoma cell lines and to characterize their expression in primary tumors. Future efforts will be devoted to determining the function of these genes.
This laboratory is an excellent setting for students, residents, and fellows to obtain training in state of the art research techniques.