Kenneth Cardona, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon and surgical oncologist who joined the Emory University faculty in 2012 after completing a Fellowship in Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dr. Cardona has a clinical interest and expertise in the management of retroperitoneal/abdominal sarcomas as well as soft tissue sarcomas of the trunk and limbs. As a leader and active member of the Winship Sarcoma Disease Team, he collaborates with soft tissue pathologists, medical and radiation oncologists, and interventional radiologists with expertise in the treatment of sarcomas to develop individualized treatment plans for each patient.
Dr. Cardona leads national research efforts in the study of sarcoma as the Chair of the National Cancer Institute’s ECOG-ACRIN Sarcoma Committee. He is the Principal Investigator of various sarcoma clinical trials and collaborates with sarcoma clinicians from around the country on sarcoma research projects. Internationally, he is an active member of the multi-institutional TransAtlantic Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group and Desmoid Working Group.
Dr. Cardona serves as Associate Chief Medical Officer for Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown. In this role, he helps direct clinical operations related to oncologic services at the facility and related clinics.
Professor, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery
Emory University School of Medicine
Associate Chief Medical Officer
Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown
Sarcoma Disease Team Lead
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Education & Training
Education
Fellowship, Surgical Oncology, 2012
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Residency, General Surgery, 2010
Emory University School of Medicine
Medical Education, MD, 2002
Ponce School of Medicine
Board Certifications
Surgery (General Surgery)
American Board of Surgery, 2010
Professional Memberships
Connective Tissue Oncology Society
American Society of Clinical Oncology
Society of Surgical Oncology
Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association
American College of Surgeons
Georgia Surgical Society
Research
Dr. Cardona's research interests are in clinical and outcomes investigations in patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the trunk, extremity or retroperitoneum. He is an active member of the TransAtlantic Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group, a collaborative that involves sarcoma experts from over 40 centers across the world, he has been involved in numerous publications focusing on guidelines for management and treatment of patients with primary and recurrent retroperitoneal sarcomas.
Metastatic Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma, Metastatic Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma, Stage III Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Trunk and Extremities AJCC v8, Stage IV Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Trunk and Extremities AJCC v8, Unresectable Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma, Unresectable Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma
Dr. Cardona has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and is on the editorial board of the soft tissue sarcoma section of various high-impact journals including Annals of Surgical Oncology, Journal of Surgical Oncology and Oncology.
Douglas Murray Academic Professionalism Award, Department of Surgery, Emory University, 2009
Award of Academic Excellence, Department of Surgery, Emory University, 2008
Young Scientist Award, Immune Tolerance Network, 2006
Young Investigator Award, World Transplant Congress, 2006, 2007
Young Investigator Award, International Pancreas & Islet Transplantation Association, 2005
Luis F. Sala, MD, Distinguished Graduate Award, 2002
Ratings & Reviews
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I have told all my friends this experience allayed all my fears about staff competentcy.
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09/06/2025
They were very attentive to my questions and feedback.
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08/30/2025
Dr Cardona fully answered all my questions and provided me with the time I needed for the visit.
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08/17/2025
Dr. Cardona is an excellent listener and his explanations are clear and concise.
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07/28/2025
I was a re-establishing patient of Dr Cardona's after several absent years. It felt like we picked up right where we left off. Dr Cardona is always very personable & professional. He goes above & beyond to ensure patients understand every aspect of their diagnosis and treatment options and engages the patient in the plan of care. He is truly top notch!!
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06/14/2025
Dr. Cardona and the doctor assisting him were extremely personable and very good and patient explaining the condition.
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06/14/2025
Seemed a bit rushed, and there was some lack of clarity about my post-surgery cancer status.
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06/07/2025
Dr Cardona was great. Very personable
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04/30/2025
I would definitely recommend Dr. Cardona and Emory Healthcare.
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04/26/2025
Dr. Cardona is highly knowledgeable and thorough. Answers all questions in easily understood terms. Direct but compassionate. We are fortunate he is our GIST surgeon.
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04/12/2025
This is important for my well-being, for me to request answers for questions, with my sons who are very concerned and the importance of my well-being.
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03/22/2025
Dr. Cardona has done 3 major surgeries on me in the last 11 years since I was diagnosed with GIST. I have great respect for him because of his expertise and care.
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03/22/2025
I can't say enough about how I liked Dr. Cardona and Dr Edwards who referred me to him. They were both fantastic.
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03/22/2025
Great
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03/08/2025
I'd give pluses if I could
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03/01/2025
Dr. Cardona and Ms. Jenny are the best! They are both caring and positive physicians!
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02/11/2025
Dr cardinal is very personable. He explains everything well and I felt he answered all my questions very thoroughly. Great experience.
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02/04/2025
I really appreciated the fact that Dr. Cardona took the time to introduce himself to my husband and kept him engaged during the whole process.
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01/26/2025
Good
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01/19/2025
Both the doctor and physician student were amazing
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12/14/2024
Everything is good
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11/05/2024
Dr Kenneth Cardona and PA Jennifer Glass were excellent communicators and answered my questions clearly and completely. Dr Sibo Tian proposed a treatment plan and his explanation and answers to questions were less clear and complete.
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11/03/2024
Dr. Cadona was excellent, I can't say enough about his patience and careful explanation of my issue.
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11/02/2024
Dr Cardona and his staff is very knowledgeable and willing to sit and answer EVERY question that I asked. He goes above and beyond in my opinion!
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10/26/2024
I would recommend this team to any and everyone. They showed a lot of genuine concern for me and explained my care plan in depth with understanding and compassion.
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10/21/2024
Dr Cardona was wonderful! He explains things very well. He is so caring and thorough. He makes you feel safe.
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09/07/2024
Our Doctor Cardona is the best.
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08/06/2024
I did not feel like the doctor gave any more (or clearer) information than what I had already been told by my own pcp.
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06/23/2024
Good
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06/23/2024
I really think Jenny, Dr. Cardona's PA is excellent! She is extremely knowledgeable and patiently answered many of my questions and concerns.
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06/15/2024
Dr. Kenneth Cardona has operated on me 2 times in the past 10 years! My family and I have a lot of confidence in him due to previous experiences. The Good Lord led me to Dr. Cardona! He has a lot of knowledge
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05/18/2024
Good
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04/27/2024
Impressed about his thorough review of scans and other data.
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04/21/2024
Dr. Cardona is always takes his time to explain the results, provides detailed explanations, and solicits questions.
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03/23/2024
Dr Cardona has the best personality, both professional and social, Never rushes. Always makes all questions are answered for both myself and my wife.