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Thomas J. Ow, MD, MS

Thomas J. Ow, MD, MS

Head and Neck Surgeon

Patient Reviews

Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Head and neck cancers
  • Skin cancer and conditions
  • Squamous cell carcinoma of the throat

My Specialties

  • Head and neck surgery
  • Thyroid surgery
  • Lymph node biopsy
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Dr. Ow's Office Information
Languages: English
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Get to Know Me

I am a surgeon who specializes in treating both cancerous and non-cancerous head and neck tumors. I have been in practice for more than a decade and have performed hundreds of complex surgeries. I have special expertise in treating skin cancers that arise in the head and neck areas, including the face, nose, scalp, ear, lip, and neck. I also have surgical expertise in treating tumors and cancers of the mouth, voice box (larynx), throat, saliva glands, and the thyroid/parathyroid glands.

I see patients at the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack on Long Island.

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I realize that most people who come to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for care are worried. Every patient wants to feel confident they are receiving the best care possible. If you are visiting my office, you can expect that I will take the time to answer all the questions you have. In addition to my expert surgical opinion, you will receive care from a multidisciplinary team of renowned experts.

Throughout my career, I have been very active in clinical trials and translational research. Research is necessary to improve cancer care. All my research has been focused on improving our understanding and treatment of cancers of the head and neck. Several of my projects have studied genomic and molecular biomarkers in head and neck cancers. 

My research has been funded by national organizations, including the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), the Triological Society, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). I serve as the Chair of the Cutaneous Cancer Section of the American Head and Neck Society, and I am the President of The New York Head and Neck Society.

I believe in wellness both inside and outside of the hospital and being very well-rounded. I enjoy running and exercise, and I play the trumpet as part of a local rock band. I also enjoy musical theater and watching Broadway shows with my wife and three beautiful daughters. For better or for worse, I am a fan of all Chicago sports teams. I am also passionate about fly fishing. 

What I Do at MSK

A head and neck surgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on the head and neck. This includes the larynx, lips, mouth, nose, salivary glands, and throat.

  • Associate Attending Surgeon
Areas of Expertise

Conditions I Treat

  • Head and neck cancers
  • Skin cancer and conditions
  • Squamous cell carcinoma of the throat
  • Merkel cell carcinoma
  • Basal cell carcinomas of the skin
  • Mouth (oral) cancer
  • Salivary gland tumors
  • Throat cancers and conditions
  • Thyroid cancer and conditions
  • Parotid gland cancer

My Specialties

  • Head and neck surgery
  • Thyroid surgery
  • Lymph node biopsy
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
  • MS, Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
  • MS, Clinical Research Training Program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Residencies

  • Internship, General Surgery, Beth Israel Medical Center
  • Residency, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Fellowships

  • Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Awards and Honors

  • Chair, Cutaneous Cancer Section, American Head and Neck Society (2024-2027)
  • President, The New York Head and Neck Society (2024-2025)
  • Best Basic Science Thesis - Edmund Prince Fowler Award, Triological Society (2023)
  • Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor - New York Metro Area (2018-2024)
  • Leo Davidoff Society, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2021)
  • Paul Calabresi Career Development K12 Award for Clinical Oncology (2015)
  • NIH-Mentored Scientist K23 Career Development Award (2018)

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.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Metroplus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

City Employee Health Plans (Gold and Gold Care)

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

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

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Current Patients
Request an appointment by logging in to MSK MyChart or calling your Care Team. If you are not enrolled in MSK MyChart, ask your Care Team to send you an invitation. You can also go to MSK MyChart and select “Sign up now.”

Contact and Location

Dr. Ow sees patients at two locations.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Commack, NY
David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
530 East 74th Street New York NY 10021
Get Directions
Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack Nonna’s Garden Foundation Center
650 Commack Road Commack NY 11725
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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 Head and Neck Service doctors

Clinical Trials

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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

McMullen CP, Ow TJ. The Role of Systemic Therapy in Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2021 Apr;54(2):343-355. doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2020.11.007. Epub 2021 Feb 11. PMID: 33583597.

Ow TJ, Mehta V, Kim S, Vakil M, Friedmann P, In H. Evaluation of Survival and Postoperative Radiation Among Patients with Advanced Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: An Analysis of the National Cancer Database. Ann Surg Oncol. 2022 Apr;29(4):2582-2591. doi: 10.1245/s10434-021-11158-9. Epub 2022 Jan 23. PMID: 35067791; PMCID: PMC8940671.

Ow TJ, Mehta V, Li D, Thomas C, Shrivastava N, Kawachi N, Gersten AJ, Zhu J, Schiff BA, Smith RV, Rosenblatt G, Augustine S, Prystowsky MB, Yin S, Gavathiotis E, Guha C. Characterization of a Diverse Set of Conditionally Reprogrammed Head and Neck Cancer Cell Cultures. Laryngoscope. 2024 Jun;134(6):2748-2756. doi: 10.1002/lary.31236. Epub 2024 Jan 30. PMID: 38288866.

Schmalbach CE, Ow TJ, Choi KY, O’Leary M, Lin A, Hughley BB, Emerick KS, Moore B, Lee NY, Zandberg DP, Wang SJ. American Head and Neck Society position statement on the use of PD-1 inhibitors for treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Head Neck. 2023 Jan;45(1):32-41. doi: 10.1002/hed.27202. Epub 2022 Sep 30. PMID: 36181317; PMCID: PMC11188044.

Gadsden NJ, Fulcher CD, Li D, Shrivastava N, Thomas C, Segall JE, Prystowsky MB, Schlecht NF, Gavathiotis E, Ow TJ. Palbociclib Renders Human Papilloma Virus-Negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Vulnerable to the Senolytic Agent Navitoclax. Mol Cancer Res. 2021 May;19(5):862-873. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-20-0915. Epub 2021 Jan 25. PMID: 33495400; PMCID: PMC8314015.

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Ow’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