Dr. Jason R. Williams
Pioneer in Interventional Immunotherapy
MD, DABR | Director of Interventional Oncology, Williams Cancer Institute
A Pioneer's Journey
Dr. Jason R. Williams has dedicated over two decades to pioneering
interventional oncology techniques that combine tumor ablation with
immunotherapy. As Director of Interventional Oncology at Williams Cancer
Dr. Jason R. Williams has dedicated over two decades to pioneering
interventional oncology techniques that combine tumor ablation with
immunotherapy. As Director of Interventional Oncology at Williams Cancer
Institute, Dr. Williams has consistently innovated treatment approaches
that are now being validated by major cancer research institutions worldwide.The Discovery That Changed Everything In 2003, Dr. Williams observed his first abscopal effect—a phenomenon where treating one tumor causes untreated tumors elsewhere in the body to shrink or disappear. While performing radiofrequency ablation on a metastatic breast cancer lesion in a patient's liver, he noticed that distant, untreated metastases began to regress. This observation became the foundation for his life's work: using tumor ablation to create an "in-body cancer vaccine" that teaches the immune system to recognize and attack cancer throughout the body.
This prescient observation came years before the mainstream oncology
community recognized the potential of combining local ablation with immune
activation. What Dr. Williams witnessed in 2003 is now the subject of extensive
clinical trials at institutions including MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering,
Stanford Medicine, and others.
The Immunotherapy Revolution Book
The Immunotherapy Revolution offers a clear, evidence-informed look at how immunotherapy is reshaping modern cancer care. Written by Dr. Jason R. Williams, the book explores personalized, tumor-targeted approaches and how they can work alongside conventional treatments—empowering patients and professionals with a deeper understanding of individualized cancer therapy.
Discover everything this book has to offer by clicking the button below.
The AblationVax Approach
Dr. Williams developed the “AblationVax” protocol—a treatment strategy that
transforms the patient’s own tumor into a personalized cancer vaccine. By
combining various ablation technologies (cryoablation, radiofrequency,
microwave) with intratumoral delivery of immune-stimulating agents, this
approach aims to:
• Release tumor antigens through controlled tumor destruction
• Activate the immune system locally through intratumoral immunotherapy
delivery
• Generate systemic anti-tumor immunity that targets cancer throughout
the body
• Create immune memory to help prevent recurrence
This “biopsy-and-treat” protocol allows treatment to begin immediately upon
diagnosis, eliminating the typical 4–6 week delay while patients wait for
traditional oncology appointments and treatment plans.
Timeline of Innovation
2003
Breast Cancer Ablation Innovations
Performed among the earliest breast tumor radiofrequency (RF) ablation procedures in the United States Pioneered breast tumor cryoablation techniques Observed the abscopal effect in a metastatic breast cancer patient—when ablating liver tumors, distant untreated metastases began to regress This observation, more than a decade before mainstream recognition, became the foundation for his life's work combining tumor destruction with immune activation
2005
Early Intratumoral Immunotherapy Protocols
Pioneered intratumoral delivery of IL-2 (Interleukin-2) combined with tumor ablation Developed protocols for intratumoral Interferon delivery with ablation Established early clinical experience with intratumoral 3-Bromopyruvate (3BP)—a metabolic inhibitor targeting cancer cell energy production— delivered directly into tumors during ablation procedures
2008
Expanding Ablation Techniques
Performed microwave ablation of lung tumors
Pioneered cryoablation for pancreatic cancer—one of the most technically challenging ablation procedures due to the organ's location and sensitivity
2014
The AblationVax Breakthrough
Combined cryoablation with intratumoral immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors
Developed protocols combining intratumoral delivery of anti-CTLA-4 (Yervoy/Ipilimumab) with tumor ablation
Pioneered intratumoral anti-PD-1 (Opdivo/Nivolumab) combined with cryoablation
Created the "AblationVax" concept of transforming tumors into personalized cancer vaccines—an approach that preceded mainstream clinical investigation by nearly a decade
2015
Multi-Agent Immunotherapy Combinations
- Published: "Intratumoral OX40/CpG Potentiates Immunologic Tumor Elimination of Breast Cancer" — Rosenberg, M.A., Williams, J.
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 2015, 3 (Suppl 2): P142
https://jitc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2051-1426-3-S2-P142- Published: "Image Guided Cryoablation of Cancer with Intra-tumoral Injection of anti-CTLA-4 and PD-1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors" — Rosenberg, M.A., Williams, J.
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 2015
https://jitc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2051-1426-3-S2-P142- Developed complex multi-agent protocols combining checkpoint inhibitors (anti-CTLA-4, anti-PD-1) with TLR9 agonists (CpG)
- Pioneered intratumoral delivery of PV-10 (Rose Bengal) combined with checkpoint inhibitors and cryoablation.
First-in-human intratumoral combination: Yervoy/Opdivo/CpG/PV-10
JasonWilliamsMD.com | WCI About- Established protocols for intra-arterial delivery of immunotherapy agents to liver tumors via hepatic artery infusion
- First-in-human intra-arterial hepatic infusion of Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for liver-dominant metastatic disease
JasonWilliamsMD.com | WCI Clinical Documentation
2018
Advanced Costimulatory Combinations
- Expanded work with intratumoral OX40 agonists combined with TLR9 agonists (CpG) and checkpoint inhibitors
- Pioneered intratumoral CD40 agonist combinations with cryoablation
- Developed protocols incorporating 4-1BB (CD137) costimulatory agonists with ablation
These multi-modal combinations aimed to maximize both local tumor destruction and systemic immune activation — approaches now being investigated in Phase I/II trials at major cancer centers worldwide.
Education & Credentials
- Medical Education:
Doctor of Medicine (MD), Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Residency:
Diagnostic Radiology, University of South Alabama Medical Center - Board Certification:
American Board of Radiology (DABR) - Academic:
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine - Professional:
Founding member, Society of Interventional Oncology
Research, Recognition & Published Work
Dr. Williams co-founded Syncromune, Inc., a biotechnology company developing
novel immunotherapy combinations. The company’s research led to five
investigational drugs receiving FDA Fast-track designation for clinical
development.
• 2019: Vince Lombardi “Leaders for a Cure” Award
• 2006: Telly Award and Communicator Award for medical education
• 2003: RSNA Research Scholar Award
Author of “The Immunotherapy Revolution: The Best New Hope for Saving
Cancer Patients’ Lives”. All proceeds benefit the Williams Cancer Foundation,
supporting cancer research and patient care
Current Validation of Dr. Williams' Pioneering Work
Dr. Williams' innovative approaches from 2003–2018 are now being studied and validated through clinical trials at major cancer research institutions worldwide. The following examples demonstrate how each of his innovations anticipated mainstream research by 7–15 years.
2003 Innovation → The Abscopal Effect
What Dr. Williams Did: Observed regression of distant untreated tumors following ablation.
What The World Is Doing Now: Phase II studies evaluating systemic immune responses after cryoablation combined with immunotherapy.
2014 Innovation → Cryoablation + Checkpoint Inhibitors
What Dr. Williams Did: Combined cryoablation with intratumoral anti-CTLA-4 (Ipilimumab) and anti-PD-1 (Nivolumab).
What The World Is Doing Now: Phase II trials demonstrating objective responses and disease control rates in metastatic melanoma.
2014–2015 Innovation → Intratumoral Checkpoint Inhibitor Delivery
What Dr. Williams Did: Developed direct tumor injection protocols for Yervoy and Opdivo.
What The World Is Doing Now: Trials showing intratumoral delivery can convert “cold” tumors into responsive “hot” tumors while reducing systemic toxicity.
2015 Innovation → OX40 Agonists with CpG (TLR9)
What Dr. Williams Did: Published research on OX40 + CpG combinations for breast cancer immunotherapy.
What The World Is Doing Now: Phase I trials confirming receptor occupancy and T-cell activation.
2015 Innovation → TLR9 Agonists (CpG) with Ablation
What Dr. Williams Did: Developed intratumoral CpG + checkpoint inhibitor protocols.
What The World Is Doing Now: Research validating enhanced efficacy of intratumoral administration.
2018 Innovation → CD40 Agonist Intratumoral Therapy
What Dr. Williams Did: Pioneered intratumoral CD40 agonist combinations with cryoablation.
What The World Is Doing Now: Clinical results showing systemic immune activation from local CD40 therapy.
Conceptual Validation → “In Situ Vaccination”
What Dr. Williams Did: Developed tumor ablation + immunotherapy as a personalized in-body vaccine strategy.
What The World Is Doing Now: Academic publications describing intratumoral immunotherapy as creating an “in situ vaccination” effect.
Selected Key References
- Nelson BE, Naing A, Fu S, et al. Immunooncol Technol. 2024.
- Osorio JC, Knorr DA, et al. Cancer Cell. 2025.
- Mooradian MJ, Fintelmann FJ, et al. Nature Communications. 2024.
- Liu Q, Zhang C, et al. Frontiers in Oncology. 2024.
- Mullins SR, Vasilakos JP, et al. British Journal of Cancer. 2022.
- Kamga KS, Fiering S. Frontiers in Immunology. 2025.
