Rhiana Menen, MD

Rhiana Menen, MD

Owner
Attending Surgeon of Breast,
General, Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery

Mountain State Breast & General Surgery

Rhiana Menen, MD is a general and breast surgeon with experience and training in general, robotic and laparoscopic surgery. She completed fellowship training in breast surgical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center and is one of only two fellowship trained breast surgeons in the state of Idaho. Dr. Menen has particular interest in cancer care, women's health, and cancer prevention. She is a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. 

One of Dr. Menen’s main interests is international and medically underserved populations. She travels yearly to Kenya for surgical camps and is a board member of the Tiba Foundation. She is particularly passionate about women’s empowerment as a means to expand health and economic self-determination to women all over the world. She is a co-founder of the BodaGirls of the Tiba Foundation, a women’s-run motorcycle taxi service that connects women in rural Kenya to the health services they need, provides safe rides to school girls, enables girls to complete their education by providing sustainable menstrual hygiene kits and teaching, and has brought economic sustainability and legitimacy to the amazing women in this program.

Title and Affiliation

  • 2023-present
    Owner, Attending Surgeon of Breast, General,
    Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery
    Mountain State Breast and General Surgery, Boise, ID

  • 8/2016-8/2023
    Attending Surgeon of Breast, General,
    Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery
    St Luke’s Hospital, Boise, ID

Positions

  • 2022-2023
    Medical Director of Breast Surgical Oncology
    St Luke’s Health System, Boise, ID

Credentials

  • Board Certification
    American Board of Surgery

Education

  • 6/2015-6/2016: Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

  • 6/2008-6/2015: Surgical Internship/Residency, University of California San Francisco Eastbay, Oakland, CA

  • 6/2010-6/2012: Research Resident – University of California San Diego Moore’s Cancer Center, San Diego, CA

  • 2004-2008: M.D. – University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA

  • 2000-2003: B.A. Magna cum laude, Biochemistry – Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

Board & Nonprofit Affiliations

  • Board member: Tiba Foundation Co-founder of the BodaGirls and volunteer attending surgeon in Kenya since 2016. This foundation partners with local Kenyan doctors and nurses to engage in a sustained partnership to serve the rural Kenyan communities. I have had the honor of performing more than 50 surgeries over 5 years as well as assisting in education of local students and providers and community fundraising.

  • Founding board member, 2019-present: Idaho Business for the Outdoors: A non-partisan, non-profit organization that brings together business leaders across Idaho to protect access to public lands.

  • Board member: 2016-2021: Expedition Inspiration. Foundation for breast cancer research and survivorship. I serve in the capacity of board member, fundraiser, medical adviser.

  • Terry Riley Health Center: Volunteer. 2017-present. Since 2017, I have volunteered in the capacity of attending surgeon for a monthly surgical clinic, specialty consultant and do minor surgery at Terry Riley.

  • Garfield Elementary School: Parent and community volunteer including career night help, community organization and donation, and grant writing for this Title 1 school. Secured two grants for the completion of the $55,000 Garfield walking track in 2020.

  • Days for Girls Ambassador for Women’s Health: This organization ensures access to sustainable menstrual health and education for women and girls around the world. Finalist for Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation health grant to bring sustainable solutions to homeless and refugee women in the Treasure Valley

Honors/Awards

Grants

  • 2022: $35,000 grant from Red Aspen makeup company to the Tiba Foundation’s BodaGirls. Helped to establish a cohort of women’s run motorcycle taxis to act as mobile health workers, increasing access to cervical cancer screening, menstrual hygiene education supplies in schools, and mobile ultrasounds for mother-baby care

  • 2021: $7,000 grant from Caring Hands Organization to the BodaGirls for their Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies initiative

  • 2020: Energize Boise Community Investment Grant, $2,500 - toward completion of Garfield Elementary Walking Path

  • 2020: Blue Cross of Idaho Community Health Grant, $5,000 - toward completion of Garfield Elementary Walking Path

  • 6/2011-6/2012: Principle researcher, Fluorescence-Guided Surgery and Laparoscopy for Pancreatic Cancer, Society of University Surgeons Grant, Dr. Michael Bouvet, $30,000

Publications

  1. Weiss A, Menen RS, Lin HY, Shen Y, Rosso KJ, Shaitelman S, Woodward W, Valero V, Ueno NT, Bedrosian I, Babiera G. Factors associated with improved outcomes for metastatic inflammatory breast cancer patients. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2018 Jun;169(3):615-623.

  2. Book chapter: Menen RS and Teshome M. Invasive Breast Cancer. The MD Anderson Surgical Oncology Handbook. Edited by Drs. Barry W. Feig, C. Denise Ching, and Christina Roland. 6th Edition. Wolters Kluwer Health.

  3. Invited Article: Menen RS, Hunt KK. Considerations for the Treatment of Young Patients with Breast Cancer. Breast J. 2016 Nov;22(6):667-672.

  4. Menen RS, Ganesan N, Bevers T, Ying J, Coyne R, Lane D, Albarracin C, Bedrosian I. Long-term safety of observation in selected women following core biopsy diagnosis of Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (ADH). Ann Surg Oncol. 2016 Aug 29.

  5. Menen RS, Pak JJ, Dowell MA, Patel AR, Ashiku SK, Velotta JB. Treatment of Tracheoinnominate Fistula with Ligation of the Innominate Artery: A Case Report. Perm J. 2016 Jun 22;20(3).

  6. Smith R, Schecter SC, Menen R, Cripps M, Godfrey R. Medical missions-overrated or undervalued? A single program experience. Perm J 2014; Spring;18(2):65-70.

  7. Hiroshima Y, Maawy A, Hassanein MK, Menen R, Momiyama M, Murakami T, Miwa S, Yamamoto M, Uehara F, Yano S, Mori R, Matsuyama R, Chishima T, Tanaka K, Ichikawa Y, Bouvet M, Endo I, Hoffman RM. The tumor-educated-macrophage increase of malignancy of human pancreatic cancer is prevented by zoledronic acid. PLoS One. 2014 Aug 12;9(8):e103382. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103382. eCollection 2014.

  8. Menen RS, Kaushal S, Snyder CS, Talamini MA, Hoffman RM, Bouvet M. Detection of colon cancer metastases with fluorescence laparoscopy in orthotopic nude mouse models. Arch Surg. 2012; Sep;147(9):876-80.

  9. Menen RS, Hassanein MK, Momiyama M, Suetsugu A, Moossa AR, Hoffman RM, Bouvet M. Tumor- educated macrophages promote tumor growth and peritoneal metastasis in an orthotopic nude mouse model of human pancreatic cancer. In Vivo. 2012 Jul-Aug;26(4):565-9.

  10. Menen R, Zhao M, Zhang L, Hassanein MK, Bobek V, Kolostova K, Bouvet M, Hoffman RM. Comparative chemosensitivity of circulating human prostate cancer cells and primary cancer cells. Anticancer Res. 2012 Jul;32(7):2881-4.

  11. Menen RS, Pinney E, Hassanein MK, Kolostova K, Bobek V, Suetsugu A, ZhangN, Bouvet M, Hoffman RM. Inhibition of Metastasis of Human Prostate Cancer Circulating Tumor Cells in the Chick Embryo by an Extracellular Matrix Produced by Foreskin Fibroblasts in Culture. Anticancer Res. 2012 May;32(5):1573-7.

  12. Cao HS, Kaushal S, Metildi CA, Menen RS, Lee C, Snyder CS, Messer K, Pu M, Luiken GA, Talamini MA, Hoffman RM, Bouvet M. Tumor-Specific Fluorescence Antibody Imaging Enables Accurate Staging Laparoscopy in an Orthotopic Model of Pancreatic Cancer. Hepatogastroenterology. 2012 Jan 11;59(118).

  13. Menen RS, Pinney E, Kolostova K, Bobek V, Suetsugu A, Zhang N, Bouvet M, Hoffman RM. A rapid imageable in vivo metastasis assay for circulating tumor cells. Anticancer Res. 2011 Oct;31(10):3125-8.

  14. Tran Cao HS, Kaushal S, Menen RS, Metildi CA, Lee C, Snyder CS, Talamini MA, Hoffman RM, Bouvet M. Submillimeter-resolution fluorescence laparoscopy of pancreatic cancer in a carcinomatosis mouse model visualizes metastases not seen with standard laparoscopy. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2011 Jul-Aug;21(6):485-9.

Presentations

  1. Keynote Speaker, Red Aspen Corporation Women Empowerment. Girl’s Week, September 2022

  2. Boise State University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute: Invited course lecturer, Breast Cancer: Overview and Current Treatments, 2019.

  3. UCSF Resident Research Symposium. R. S. Menen, M. K. Hassanein , M. Momiyama , A. Suetsugu, A. R. Moossa , R. M. Hoffman , M. Bouvet. Tumor-Educated Macrophages Stimulate Tumor Progression In An Orthotopic Human Pancreatic Cancer Nude Mouse Model. April 2012.

  4. Pacific Coast Surgical Association 83rd Annual Meeting. Menen RS, Kausha S, Snyder CS, Talamini M, Hoffman RM, Bouvet M. Fluorescence laparoscopy improves detection of metastases in both early and advanced colon cancer in orthotopic mouse models. Feb 2012.

  5. 7th Annual Academic Surgical Congress: R. S. Menen , M. K. Hassanein , M. Momiyama , A. Suetsugu , A. R. Moossa , R. M. Hoffman , M. Bouvet. Tumor-Educated Macrophages Stimulate Tumor Progression In An Orthotopic Human Pancreatic Cancer Nude Mouse Model. Feb 2012.

  6. Society of University Surgeons: Grant Update, Las Vegas. Fluorescence-Guided Surgery and Laparoscopy for Pancreatic Cancer. Feb 2012.

  7. Speaker, Surgical Frontiers Meeting, Tahoe, NV. Rhiana Menen, MD: Palliative Surgery: An Important Piece in the Oncologic Puzzle. March 2011.

  8. 6th Annual Academic Surgical Congress: H. S. Tran Cao, S. Kaushal, R. Menen, C. A. Metildi, C. Lee, C. S. Snyder, S. Horgan, M. A. Talamini, R. M. Hoffman, M. Bouvet. Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Staged By Fluorescence Laparoscopy In A Fluorescent Carcinomatosis Mouse Model. Feb 2011.

Posters Presentations

  1. Accepted: SSO 2016: Resection of the primary tumor significantly improves median overall survival in patients with Stage IV de novo inflammatory breast cancer. Rhiana S Menen, Heather Y Lin, Yu Shen, Simona Sheitelman, Isabelle Bedrosian, Gildy Babiera. March 2016.

  2. AACR 104th Annual Meeting in San Diego. Sub-fractions of conditioned medium from a neo-natal fibroblast, three dimensional bioreactor system, has significant anti-oncogenic activity. Pinney E, Montes-Camacho M, Brintle K, Posch C, Menen RS, Easter D, Bouvet M, Hoffman RM, Naughton G. April 2013.

  3. AACR 103rd Annual Meeting in Chicago: Tumor-educated macrophages promote tumor growth and peritoneal metastasis in an orthotopic nude mouse model of human pancreatic cancer. Menen RS, Hassanein MK, Momiyama M, Suetsugu A, Moossa AR, Bouvet M, Hoffman RM. April 2012.

  4. AACR 103rd Annual Meeting in Chicago: Inhibition of metastasis of circulating tumor cells by extracellular matrix compounds. Menen RS, Pinney E, Hassanein MK, Bouvet M, Hoffman RM. April 2012.

  5. AACR 103rd Annual Meeting in Chicago: Fluorescence laparoscopy improves metastatic detection in both early and advanced colon cancer. Menen RS, Kaushal S, Snyder C, Hoffman RM, Bouvet M. April 2012.

  6. AACR 103rd Annual Meeting in Chicago: Co-inoculation of macrophages with PC-3 human prostate cancer increases brain metastasis in a chick embryo model. Menen RS, Hassanein MK, Kolostova K, Bobek V, Bouvet M, Hoffman RM. April 2012.

  7. AACR 103rd Annual Meeting in Chicago: A secreted tissue engineered extracellular matrix (shECM) prevents recurrence in post-resection pancreatic cancer models. Pinney E, Menen RS, Hassanein MK, Montes-Camacho M, Naughton GK, Bouvet M, Hoffman RM.

  8. AACR 102nd Annual Meeting in Orlando: A Novel Dual Color Mouse Model for Studying the Tumor Microenvironment of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Cynthia S. Snyder, Sharmeela Kaushal, Chanae Hardamon, Hop Tran Cao, Rhiana Menen, Cristina Metildi, Andrew Lowy, Robert M. Hoffman, and Michael Bouvet. April 2011.