One of the procedures that I use to treat cancer is called “facial plane-based surgery.” I developed this new approach to reduce recovery time, better preserve normal function, and improves cure rates. I have used this novel method in common operations, including thyroid surgery, neck dissection, and robotic surgery with great success.
Treatment for head and neck cancer is constantly evolving. Once treated mainly with surgery, head and neck cancer treatment now involves cooperative, multidisciplinary teams to achieve the best possible outcome. Our care team includes surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, speech therapists, rehabilitative specialists, and other supportive services. Our goal is to care for patients using the most effective tools.
As Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Skin Cancer Management Program, I work to bring together MSK’s world-renowned experts from each medical discipline necessary to effectively treat challenging skin cancers. We combine our skills and experience to develop personalized treatment plans for people with advanced, unusual, or aggressive skin cancers. We are able to offer many services in a single location to help make treatment more efficient for our patients. My philosophy to care for the whole patient, not just the cancer, is shared by our entire team. We want to heal you, not just cure your cancer.
Over the course of my career, I have learned that even though our current treatment approaches are effective, they do not work for every person with head and neck cancers. My desire to improve patient cure rates and quality of life has led me to study cancer genetics, with the goal of gaining a better understanding of head and neck cancers. I obtained a PhD to supplement my clinical knowledge, and I am actively involved in clinical and laboratory research aimed at improving treatments for people with cancer. Our research has helped to establish treatment approaches that serve as cornerstones for the modern management of head and neck cancers.
Given the effectiveness of our treatment approaches and research efforts, I was appointed Director of MSK’s Laboratory of Epithelial Cancer Biology and have been asked to share my expertise at numerous national and international meetings. I have authored more than 250 articles and 30 book chapters related to head and neck cancers. In addition, the American Joint Committee on Cancer has asked me to help develop a new staging system for head and neck cancers, which will serve as the basis for state-of-the-art therapeutic decision-making.
