Memorial Sloan Kettering Breast Surgeon Giacomo Montagna

Giacomo Montagna, MD, MPH

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Breast cancers and conditions
  • Rare breast cancers
  • Male breast cancer

My Specialties

  • Oncoplastic surgery
  • Prophylactic mastectomy
  • Nipple-sparing mastectomy
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Get to Know Me

I am a breast surgeon who treats benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) breast diseases. I am experienced in all the latest surgical approaches for all types of procedures, including:

  • Axillary surgery to access the lymph nodes in the armpit area
  • Oncoplastic breast surgery, such as nipple sparing mastectomy, and breast conservation methods. These procedures can help preserve the physical appearance of the natural breast after cancer treatment.

When patients first meet with me, they are often scared about what lies ahead. They have many questions about how their diagnosis and treatment will affect their quality of life. I take the time to clearly answer their questions, understand their concerns, and explain their options. My goal is to help them make an informed decision about the next steps in their care. I want them to leave my office with an understanding of their disease and a clear treatment plan.

At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), I work as part of a team that includes experts from:

  • Medical oncology
  • Pathology
  • Plastic surgery
  • Psychology
  • Radiation oncology
  • Radiology

Our goal is to deliver the highest quality of care that offers the best possible result. We start by creating a treatment plan that meets each patient’s personal needs and preferences.

I also have a special interest in studying rare types of breast cancer, such as metaplastic breast cancer and phyllodes tumors. These rare tumors account for approximately 1% of all breast cancers. Their biology is different from that of more common breast cancers, like ductal or lobular cancer. However, there is a lack of research data in this area. As a result, these tumors are treated based on guidance from general breast cancer guidelines.

I also co-lead MSK’s Rare Breast Cancer Program with my colleague, Nour Abuhadra. Our mission is to support people with rare breast tumors throughout their cancer journey, and to advance research in the field.

What I Do at MSK

I'm a breast surgeon, which is a doctor with special training in breast surgery.

  • Director, Rare Breast Cancer Program, Department of Surgery
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Breast cancers and conditions
  • Rare breast cancers
  • Male breast cancer

My Specialties

  • Oncoplastic surgery
  • Prophylactic mastectomy
  • Nipple-sparing mastectomy
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
  • CAS, Breast Cancer Treatment, University of Ulm, Germany
  • MPH, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Residencies

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology - Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale and University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland.

Fellowships

  • Oncoplastic Breast Surgery - University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland
  • Clinical Research - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Breast Surgical Oncology - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (Switzerland)

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

Current Patients
Request an appointment by calling your Care Team or messaging them in MSK MyChart.

Contact and Location

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Montvale, NJ
300 East 66th Street Floors 1 - 4 New York NY 10065
225 Summit Avenue Montvale NJ 07645

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Breast Service doctors

Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Research and Publications

 

Selected Publications

Montagna G, Alvarado M, Myers S, Mrdutt MM, Sun SX, Sevilimedu V, Barrio AV, van den Bruele AB, Boughey JC, Boyle MK, Crown A, Kesmodel SB, King TA, Kuerer HM, Leisha EC, Moo TA, Weiss A, Williams AD, Parmar P, Diskin B, Hlavin C, Diego EJ, Polidorio N, Abdelwahab K, Banys-Paluchowski M, Kurzeder C, Heidinger M, Goldschmidt M, Schulz A, Heil J, Karadeniz Cakmak G, Pislar N, Riis M, Prakash I, Ovalle V, Ugurlu MU, Franceschini G, Sergeevich EA, Morales J, Lee HB, Galimberti V, Ahn SG, Ryu JM, Muslumanoglu M, Cabıoğlu N, Yoo TR, Vrancken Peeters MJ, Ferrucci M, Morrow M, Weber WP; microNAC Study Group. Oncological outcomes with and without axillary lymph node dissection in patients with residual micrometastases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (OPBC-07/microNAC): an international, retrospective cohort study. Lancet Oncol. 2026 Jan;27(1):57-67. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(25)00598-4. PMID: 41449148.

Abuhadra N, Pareja F, White C, Chen Y, Wen H, Dikoglu E, Park J, Downs-Canner S, Norton L, Plitas G, Khan A, Chandarlapaty S, Razavi P, Robson M, Morrow M, Montagna G. Predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in metaplastic triple-negative breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2025 Oct 2;11(1):110. doi: 10.1038/s41523-025-00816-w. PMID: 41038871; PMCID: PMC12491465.

Montagna G, Laws A, Ferrucci M, Mrdutt MM, Sun SX, Bademler S, Balbaloglu H, Balint-Lahat N, Banys-Paluchowski M, Barrio AV, Benson J, Bese N, Boughey JC, Boyle MK, Diego EJ, Eden C, Eller R, Goldschmidt M, Hlavin C, Heidinger M, Jelinska J, Karadeniz Cakmak G, Kesmodel SB, King TA, Kuerer HM, Loesch J, Milardi F, Murawa D, Moo TA, Menes TS, Passeri D, Pastoriza JM, Perhavec A, Pislar N, Polidorio N, Rami A, Ryu JM, Schulz A, Sevilimedu V, Ugurlu MU, Uras C, van Hemert A, Wong SM, Yoo TR, Zhang JQ, Karanlik H, Cabioğlu N, Peeters MV, Morrow M, Weber WP; ICARO Study Group. Nodal Burden and Oncologic Outcomes in Patients With Residual Isolated Tumor Cells After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (ypN0i+): The OPBC-05/ICARO StudyJ Clin Oncol. 2024 Nov 7:JCO2401052. doi: 10.1200/JCO.24.01052. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39509672

Montagna G, Mrdutt MM, Sun SX, Hlavin C, Diego EJ, Wong SM, Barrio AV, van den Bruele AB, Cabioglu N, Sevilimedu V, Rosenberger LH, Hwang ES, Ingham A, Papassotiropoulos B, Nguyen-Sträuli BD, Kurzeder C, Aybar DD, Vorburger D, Matlac DM, Ostapenko E, Riedel F, Fitzal F, Meani F, Fick F, Sagasser J, Heil J, Karanlik H, Dedes KJ, Romics L, Banys-Paluchowski M, Muslumanoglu M, Perez MDRC, Díaz MC, Heidinger M, Fehr MK, Reinisch M, Tukenmez M, Maggi N, Rocco N, Ditsch N, Gentilini OD, Paulinelli RR, Zarhi SS, Kuemmel S, Bruzas S, di Lascio S, Parissenti TK, Hoskin TL, Güth U, Ovalle V, Tausch C, Kuerer HM, Caudle AS, Boileau JF, Boughey JC, Kühn T, Morrow M, Weber WP. Omission of Axillary Dissection Following Nodal Downstaging With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy. JAMA Oncol. 2024 Apr 25:e240578. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.0578. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38662396; PMCID: PMC11046400.

Weber WP, Matrai Z, Hayoz S, Tausch C, Henke G, Zimmermann F, Montagna G, Fitzal F, Gnant M, Ruhstaller T, Muenst S, Mueller A, Lelièvre L, Heil J, Knauer M, Egle D, Sávolt Á, Heidinger M, Kurzeder C; TAXIS Study Writing Group; Zwahlen DR, Gruber G, Ackerknecht M, Kuemmel S, Bjelic-Radisic V, Smanykó V, Vrieling C, Satler R, Hagen D, Becciolini C, Bucher S, Simonson C, Fehr PM, Gabriel N, Maráz R, Sarlos D, Dedes KJ, Leo C, Berclaz G, Fansa H, Hager C, Reisenberger K, Singer CF, Loibl S, Winkler J, Lam GT, Fehr MK, Kohlik M, Clerc K, Ostapenko V, Maggi N, Schulz A, Andreozzi M, Goldschmidt M, Saccilotto R, Markellou P. Association of Axillary Dissection With Systemic Therapy in Patients With Clinically Node-Positive Breast Cancer. JAMA Surg. 2023 Oct 1;158(10):1013-1021. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2023.2840.PMID: 37466971

Montagna G, Zhang J, Sevilimedu V, Charyn J, Abbate K, Gomez EA, Mehrara B, Morrow M, Barrio AV. Risk Factors and Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Patients With Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema. JAMA Oncol. 2022 Aug 1;8(8):1195-1200. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.1628.PMID: 35679026

Montagna G, Schaffar R, Bordoni A, Spitale A, Terribile DA, Rossi L, Bergeron Y, van der Linden BWA, Konzelmann I, Rohrmann S, Staehelin K, Maspoli-Conconi M, Bulliard JL, Meani F, Pagani O, Rapiti E. Management and Outcome of Young Women (≤40 Years) with Breast Cancer in Switzerland. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Mar 4;14(5):1328. doi: 10.3390/cancers14051328.PMID: 35267635

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Montagna’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Members of the MSK Community often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.

MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.

Giacomo Montagna discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.


This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2024 through disclosure submission in spring 2025). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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