Dr. Dejka M. Araujo, MD

Expert Publications

• Relationship of mercury with aluminum, iron and manganese oxy-hydroxides in sediments from the Alto Pantanal, Brazil.
• Preclinical development of neurosteroids as neuroprotective agents for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
• Reducing bleeding complications after thrombolytic therapy for stroke: clinical potential of metalloproteinase inhibitors and spin trap agents.
• Distribution of neurotensin receptors in mammalian brain. What it is telling us about its interactions with other neurotransmitter systems.
• Basic FGF in astroglial, microglial, and neuronal cultures: characterization of binding sites and modulation of release by lymphokines and trophic factors.
• Beta-amyloid stimulates glial cells in vitro to produce growth factors that accumulate in senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease.
• Comparative alterations of nicotinic and muscarinic binding sites in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
• Immunoautoradiographic localization of interleukin 2-like immunoreactivity and interleukin 2 receptors (Tac antigen-like immunoreactivity) in the rat brain.
• Heterogeneous binding of [3H]4-DAMP to muscarinic cholinergic sites in the rat brain: evidence from membrane binding and autoradiographic studies.
• Fluorescence in situ hybridization is a useful ancillary diagnostic tool for extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma.
• Neurotensin regulation of endogenous acetylcholine release from rat striatal slices is independent of dopaminergic tone.
• Growth factors and lymphokines: modulators of cholinergic neuronal activity.
• New insights into the hemangiopericytoma/solitary fibrous tumor spectrum of tumors.
• Evidence that somatostatin enhances endogenous acetylcholine release in the rat hippocampus.

Clinical Trials

• A Pilot Study of Genetically Engineered NY-ESO-1 Specific NY-ESO-1?²??T in HLA-A2+ Patients With Synovial Sarcoma

Media Releases

Get to know Medical Oncologist Dr. Dejka M. Araujo, who serves patients in Houston, Texas.

Recognized as a skilled medical oncologist, Dr. Araujo is a Professor within the Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Since 2009, she has been serving as an Associate Faculty Member at The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She is also Call Schedule Coordinator within the Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Among her institutional committee activities, Dr. Araujo is a member of the Sarcoma Medical Oncology Committee for Appointments and Promotions, the CARTOX Cell Therapy Committee, and the Graduate Medical Education Institutional Review Subcommittee. 

Her clinical and research interests are focused on synovial sarcoma. As the team leader of the Synovial Sarcoma Working Group, she oversees a number of clinical and preclinical research projects that are an integral part of the Sarcoma Mini-Moonshot Program. 

“We have two synovial sarcoma cell lines and are in the process of obtaining a third line to be used for our 850 compound drug screen. We then plan to test rational combinations of active agents in order to identify candidates for further clinical testing. With the help of Dr. Andy Futreal, we are in the process of whole exome sequencing of 20 fresh frozen samples. Data is in the analysis pipeline for 11 cases, with another 9 in the queue for sequencing. With the data from this sequencing project, we are hoping to determine what drives this sarcoma subtype which in turn will hopefully shed light on better therapeutic approaches. Another on-going project is a retrospective review of the MD Anderson Experience of treating patients with synovial sarcoma, 1994-2012. Thus far, data from 546 out of 646 patient records have been obtained” stated Dr. Araujo.

Back in the early days of her academic career, she graduated with her medical degree from UAMS College of Medicine in 1999. She then went on to perform her clinical internship and residency at the University of Alabama in 2000 and 2002, respectively. She followed this up with a clinical fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2005.

Passionate about her profession, Dr. Araujo is board-certified in medical oncology by the American Board of Internal Medicine, a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world.

Currently, she is an active member of many professional organizations, including the Connective Tissue Oncology Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. A medical oncologist is a doctor who has special training in diagnosing and treating cancer in adults using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, and targeted therapy. He or she is often the main health care provider for someone who has cancer.

Among Dr. Araujo’s numerous accolades include: 2020 Top Performer. Your patients have rated you in the top 10% nationally on CAHPS measures related to their care experience with you, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; 2020 Fastest to Close Encounters, MD Anderson Cancer Center Division of Cancer Medicine; 2019 Fastest to Close Encounters, MD Anderson Cancer Center Division of Cancer Medicine; 2019 Top Performer. Your patients have rated you in the top 1% nationally on CAHPS measures related to their care experience with you, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; 2014 Commitment To Care Award, Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation; 2012 David Edwin Bostrom Endowment; 2004 ASCO Foundation Merit Award; 2004 The Connie and Jim Walter Fellowship in Sarcoma; 1995 Summa Cum Laude, University of Notre Dame; 1995 Phi Beta Kappa, University of Notre Dame; 1995 The Gertrude Austin Marti Award in Theology, University of Notre Dame; 1995 Washington County Medical Society Scholarship; and 1991 Notre Dame Scholar, University of Notre Dame.

Recommended Articles

• How to Prepare for a Biopsy

  A biopsy procedure is a very important procedure, which is used to identify the underlying cause of your abnormal body tissues. Depending on your condition and the location of the tissue abnormality, different types of biopsies may be performed on you. A biopsy preparation, therefore, depends on...

• New York News Anchor Dies at 63: Michele Marsh’s Legacy

  Prior to the 1970s, the American television news industry was dominated by all-male newscasters. That began to change as female broadcasters were promoted into anchor positions and welcomed by audiences throughout the 1970s. Women such as Pat Harper, Barbara Walters, and Judy Licht began to make...

• Wings of TEAL, Raising Awareness for Ovarian Cancer

  Wings of TEAL is an Ovarian Cancer Support Group based in Polk County, Florida. TEAL stands for Treat Early and Live. It is also the color for ovarian cancer, worn on bracelets, shirts, and other attire by women who are battling the disease, as well as by family members who stand beside them. ...

• Can Ovarian Cancer Affect Women of All Ages?

  Ovarian cancer is the most common type of cancer (besides breast cancer) among the female population. Sometimes, ovarian cancer comes together with many other diseases, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, irregular periods, and after hormone replacement therapies.This disease is most...

• Christina Applegate Reveals She Underwent Oophorectomy to Prevent Ovarian Cancer

  When a celebrity experiences something, whether a rocky relationship or the birth of a new child, the general public is often thrilled because these occurrences make celebrities seem more relatable. There might not be anything more relatable to a celebrity’s humanness than the announcement of a...

• Possibly All Ovarian Cancer Starts in Fallopian Tubes, Research Suggests

  There are many different types of ovarian cancers and recent research is suggesting that most, if not all start in the fallopian tubes. This is an important breakthrough. By understanding more about how and where ovarian cancers start, clinicians and researchers can work on new prevention and...