Physician Profile – Kristen Zorn, M.D.

By Kelly Gardner

Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Division of Genetics
Director, Division of Gynecologic Oncology
Dr. Zorn’s UAMS profile

What inspired you to become a doctor?

I come from a medical family. I was exposed to medicine from childhood and always found the workings of the human body fascinating.

What do you like most about your specialty?

The patients! Gynecologic oncology has the best patients of any field I ever experienced. The work is also fascinating to me. We complete residency in obstetrics and gynecology followed by a gynecologic oncology fellowship. Once a gynecologic cancer diagnosis is made, we perform surgery when necessary, give chemotherapy when needed, and help coordinate radiation if indicated. It is an unusual oncology field in that we operate and give chemo ourselves, which allows us to have a lot of continuity of care with our patients.

What makes you unique among your peers?

I discovered a passion for cancer genetics early in my career because two of the most common inherited cancer syndromes – hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome and Lynch syndrome – involve increased risk for gynecologic cancer. I pursued additional training in genetics and have made it a focus of my clinical practice and research. Identifying families with these syndromes allows us to be proactive about cancer risk and, hopefully, prevent it altogether.

What are your clinical specialties?

I care for women with endometrial, ovarian, fallopian tube, peritoneal, cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer, along with my three physician partners and three nurse practitioners. In addition, I see patients with a known or suspected hereditary cancer syndrome in conjunction with our genetic counselors. I also coordinate the UAMS clinical trials for gynecologic cancer patients and for a cooperative clinical trial group sponsored by the National Cancer Institute called NRG Oncology.

How can doctors make referrals to you?

New patients: 501-526-6990 ext. 8200 or 8203