Thandavababu Chelliah
Thandavababu Chelliah, MD
Director of Hematology and Oncology
NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health
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Advancing Cancer Treatment in South Brooklyn
Few things excite Dr. Thandavababu Chelliah more than bringing a major new cancer treatment to his patients. Over the past decade, the emergence of immunotherapy – a method that essentially teaches the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells – has been that breakthrough for some of his patients.
“I have one patient who has been on this treatment for stage 4 lung cancer since 2019 and his cancer is under complete control without him ever being admitted to the hospital,” Dr. Chelliah said. “Being able to do that in a small public hospital such as South Brooklyn Health is very gratifying.”
Dr. Chelliah – “Babu,” as he’s known to his colleagues – became chief of hematology and oncology in 2019 after 13 years as a long-admired attending at the hospital formerly known as NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island. “Dr. Chelliah has an unwavering commitment to advancing cancer treatment and a deep passion for improving patient outcomes,” says South Brooklyn’s chief medical officer, Dr. Terence Brady. “His collaborative leadership and empathetic care of patients have made a lasting impact on countless lives.”
Dr. Chelliah grew up in India and learned from his father. “He was an old-fashioned doctor who did house calls on Sundays riding his two-wheeler.” He emigrated to the United States in 1997 and found a home where he could live up to his father’s inspiration: “As physicians, we take an oath to care for the sick. The only place in New York City that one can completely adhere to this oath is at NYC Health + Hospitals.”
Two things have humbled him over the years, he says. “One is the unpredictability of how a cancer is going to respond to a treatment. The other is the dignity that so many patients have with this deadly disease. Even when I have to give them bad news, they have the grace to say, ‘Thank you, doctor, for what you did for me. I know you did your best.’ That’s a very emotional moment. And when a patient is cured and they tell you how important it was that you gave them kind words and encouragement, that’s something that keeps you going.”