Dr. Cackowski earned his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and then completed his Internal Medicine Residency and subsequently, his Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at the University of Michigan in 2017.
While at the University of Michigan as a fellow and later as a Clinical Lecturer, he developed particular expertise in the treatment of patients with genitourinary cancers. He also developed a laboratory research program studying prostate cancer dormancy and recurrence — how patients with prostate cancer can relapse months, years, or decades after curative-intent surgery or radiation. His research laboratory is funded by grants from the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Department of Defense.
Dr. Cackowski joined the medical staff at Karmanos Cancer Center and Wayne State University in May 2020 where he continues to treat patients with genitourinary cancers, leads a laboratory investigating ways in which prostate cancer recurs and resists treatment and conducts clinical trials of genitourinary cancers.
The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) has continued its Community Conversations on Cancer series in 2025 in partnership with the Detroit Public Library. The program invites members of the public to dialogue about current cancer research and treatment, improved health outcomes, and a deep understanding of a cancer diagnosis. The 2025 series includes six events, each a collaborative, informative discussion introducing the community to a different asp...
Patient Power Why might a prostate cancer patient feel tired? Frank Cackowski, M.D., Ph.D. , medical oncologist and member of the Genitourinary Oncology Multidisciplinary Team at Karmanos, explained some of the causes of fatigue and how prostate cancer patients can manage the tiredness they may feel while undergoing treatment. Read the article here .
The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute’s fourth annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Night with the Detroit Tigers and McLaren Health Care, the official health care system of the Tigers, was a home run on Monday, July 8. Hundreds of prostate cancer survivors and their loved ones were brought together under the lights of Comerica Park as the Detroit Tigers beat their division rival, the Cleveland Guardians. This awareness game also provided crucial information on early detection, highlighted the importanc...