Dr. Jan Novák

Dr. Jan Novák is a senior medical oncologist at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute (MMCI) in Brno, Czech Republic's most specialized oncology center and one of Central Europe's leading cancer institutes. With 19 years of dedicated oncology practice, he has become an authority in gastrointestinal cancers, particularly colorectal cancer management.

Dr. Novák trained at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany as part of a European oncology exchange program, where he developed expertise in colorectal cancer surgery-oncology integration and targeted therapies. He returned to the Masaryk Institute, where he now leads the gastrointestinal oncology unit.

He is deeply involved in clinical research and has served as principal investigator in over 15 international multicenter clinical trials, giving his patients access to cutting-edge investigational therapies. His expertise in liquid biopsy and molecular tumor profiling enables highly personalized treatment strategies.

Dr. Novák is recognized across the Czech Republic for his patient education initiatives and for developing decision support tools to help patients and families understand their treatment options.

Dr. Novák received his MD from Masaryk University Faculty of Medicine in Brno in 2002. He completed his residency in internal medicine and oncology at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute. He undertook a fellowship at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany (2006–2008), specializing in gastrointestinal oncology. His PhD, awarded in 2010 by Masaryk University, focused on molecular predictors of response to anti-EGFR therapy in colorectal cancer. He holds ESMO membership and is certified by the Czech Medical Chamber in clinical oncology.

Dr. Novák's primary clinical area is gastrointestinal oncology, with expertise in colorectal, gastric, hepatocellular, and pancreatic cancers. He designs and oversees chemotherapy regimens, anti-EGFR and anti-VEGF targeted therapies, and immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment protocols. He integrates molecular tumor board recommendations into individualized care plans and has particular expertise in managing metastatic colorectal cancer with RAS/BRAF mutation profiling. He is also experienced in managing treatment-related toxicities and in transitional palliative oncology care.

Dr. Novák has published over 45 peer-reviewed articles in journals including the Journal of Clinical Oncology and the European Journal of Cancer. His research program centers on molecular biomarkers for targeted therapy selection and resistance mechanisms in colorectal cancer. He collaborates with research groups in Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States and has presented his findings at ESMO and ASCO congresses.

Dr. Novák speaks Czech, English, and German and is experienced in providing oncology second opinions and treatment to international patients. The Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute has an international patient department that assists with medical record review, English-language treatment summaries, and coordination of care for patients traveling to Brno. The Czech Republic offers oncology treatment at a fraction of the cost of Western Europe, while meeting EU regulatory and quality standards for cancer drugs and protocols.

Dr. Novák received the Czech Society of Oncology Award for Clinical Research Excellence in 2017. He was recognized by ESMO for his contribution to clinical trial leadership in Central and Eastern Europe. The Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute awarded him the Director's Prize for Innovation in 2022 for developing a molecular tumor board decision framework adopted across Czech oncology centers.