Â鶹ӳ»­

The head and neck are home to so many structures like nerves and blood vessels that intimately impact function. From speaking to swallowing to breathing to facial expressions, these functions help make us who we are.?

As a head and neck surgeon and researcher, I understand how head and neck cancers and their treatments can potentially impact these important functions. That¡¯s why my team strives not only to cure patients, but also to preserve their quality of life.

Here is what MD Anderson patients can expect from their care here.

If it matters to you, it matters to us

At MD Anderson, our teams get to know each patient and what makes them them.

Being diagnosed with cancer is a very emotional time for patients and their families. Our teams understand this. We give patients the freedom and safety to express how they are feeling. We pay attention to what's important for each patient; we value what they value. Then, we make treatment decisions with those values in mind.

What brings me the most satisfaction in what I do is being able to take my patients through their treatment journey. I meet them during or after their cancer diagnosis, which for many is a devastating time filled with unimaginable questions and fear. Then, I am with them through treatments such as surgery, systemic therapy and radiation. It is immensely gratifying when I see them with their families once they recover from their treatment and see that they're doing very well.

A team approach to head and neck cancer care?

MD Anderson is unique because of our multidisciplinary team approach. A head and neck care team may include surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, speech language pathologists, dental oncologists, physical therapists and more.?

Patients here benefit from having an entire team of experts dedicated to the treatment of head and neck cancers. During our weekly tumor board meeting, surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and others gather to discuss the best treatment options for each patient. That means patients aren¡¯t getting the brains of one or two individuals; they¡¯re getting the whole team of 50 to 60 people who treat this disease. We're able to make a decision together, determining the best course of treatment for an individual patient.

Moving the needle through research?

In Head and Neck Surgery at MD Anderson, we place a strong emphasis on conducting research and bringing the most cutting-edge research into our practice. So, in addition to my clinical colleagues, I also work closely with amazing scientists from across the fields of genetics, computational biology and molecular biology. As a physician-scientist, I know the research we do can be directly translated into better therapies for our patients. My research focuses on understanding head and neck cancers at a genomic level (DNA/RNA) using materials from tumors that patients have donated. Having access to these very precious and unique materials allows us to really understand these tumors at a deeper level and identify new ways we can better personalize treatment based on a patient¡¯s molecular underpinnings.

Another way our research makes a difference for patients with head and neck cancers is through clinical trials. Clinical trials are critical to cancer care because we're always looking for better therapies and methods of applying those therapies that can help us cure cancer and preserve quality of life.

Through research, we've been able to move the needle for head and neck cancers. For example, I work in the treatment of a very rare cancer called anaplastic thyroid cancer. Only a few years ago, the prognosis for this type of cancer was very poor: in the realm of weeks to months. But recently, I was at a meeting where I saw a patient seven years out from treatment. That brings me immense gratitude and satisfaction.

A shared mission to end cancer

When you walk through the doors at MD Anderson, it's very clear that everybody who works here shares a common goal; we're united in what we're trying to achieve. Unfortunately, a lot of us have direct or indirect personal experiences with cancer, so our mission of Making Cancer History? touches us in a very emotional and motivating way.??

Because MD Anderson is focused on ending cancer, we have very deep expertise in different types of cancer. Even within the field of head and neck surgery, our experts are able to develop sub-specialization because we see so many patients and so many different types of head and neck cancers.

For treatment of any kind of cancer ¨C and particularly less common cancers like head and neck cancer ¨C you want to go to a place that treats it every single day. You want the surgeons who operate on you to do this kind of surgery every single week. Volume has been shown to equate to better outcomes, which is one of the most important reasons why individuals should choose MD Anderson.?

Here, I know I am contributing to moving the needle forward. We are delivering current therapies, but we¡¯re also focused on developing the next generation of therapies and diagnostics for our patients. That drive to develop better options for our patients is something I¡¯ve never felt anywhere else; it¡¯s something that can only be felt by being here.

or call 1-877-632-6789.