Cancer can have a profound impact on someone’s life. From the very beginning, most patients have many questions about the road ahead. Working in collaboration with medical and radiation oncologists at Yale Cancer Center, our world-renowned oncology surgeons are committed to providing compassionate and personalized care, offering comfort and support. We understand that the thought of undergoing surgery can be overwhelming. An integral part of our approach is to provide support, in part, through detailed answers and by thoroughly explaining treatment options and what to expect before, during, and after the surgery. Our innovative methods enable our surgeons to address even the most complex cancerous and noncancerous conditions. Our surgeons provide the most comprehensive and advanced care available, collaborating with other internationally recognized cancer care specialists at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, including diagnostic and interventional radiologists, gastroenterologists, hepatologists, imaging specialists, and pathologists. Whether patients are newly diagnosed with cancer or their cancer has not responded to traditional treatment therapies, our team of surgeons and specialists will create a personalized plan based on the latest research, technologies, evidence-based medicine, and the possibility of clinical trials. During the first visit, patients will meet with a surgical oncologist, medical oncologist, and a radiation oncologist who will create a personalized treatment. Our goal is to begin treatment as soon as possible. Because our surgeons treat patients at theSmilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, patients will have access to a multitude of medical and supportive services to help improve their quality of life while living with cancer, and after. We treat the following cancers and cysts: Breast cancer Gastrointestinal cancers, including gastric bile duct, gallbladder, liver, colon, stomach, pancreas, and colorectal cancers Intra-abdominal cancers and tumors Melanoma Pancreatic cysts (noncancerous) Sarcoma Minimally invasive surgery. Our emphasis is on the most successful surgery with the least pain, scarring, and recovery time. Our highly-skilled surgeons are leaders in minimally invasive procedures, even for complex cases that would otherwise require traditional open surgery. During minimally invasive surgery, also known as laparoscopic surgery, only a few small incisions are necessary. Surgeons use small video cameras to view the affected area and use special surgical instruments to perform the surgery. Recovery time and postsurgical discomfort are significantly reduced because the incisions are smaller than with open surgery. Surgical wounds tend to heal more quickly and with less scarring. Whipple Procedure. The pancreas, which is the largest gland of the endocrine system, is difficult to treat surgically because of its position behind major organs. The Whipple procedure is an innovative approach that allows surgeons

The Smilow Cancer Hospital Lung Cancer Screening Program is a multidisciplinary program that provides lung cancer screening to patients at risk for lung cancer. Our program has a coordinated approach that offers a complete and seamless screening process. Our team includes world-recognized pulmonologists (doctors who treat diseases of the respiratory system), specialized chest radiologists (doctors with advanced skills in reading CT scan images of the lung), thoracic surgeons and thoracic oncologists (doctors who treat lung cancer), tobacco/smoking cessation counselling specialists, and specialized nurse practitioners. Our goal is to provide lung cancer screening in the context of a care process that takes patients from risk assessment to screening to resulting and referral, if needed. Should an abnormal finding be identified, our team will guide and support our patients through next steps. Our program is comprehensive and coordinated, and provides the patient with access to a specialized, expert team of caregivers. Our processes are efficient and seamless. Additionally, our team has the knowledge, experience, and compassion to provide patients with the best lung cancer screening experience. Because of this, our team is available to guide patients throughout the screening process and beyond, if needed. Whether it’s an annual follow-up scan or further evaluation, we have the people and resources to care for each patient. Our team uses nationally established guidelines to care for our patients. Our tobacco treatment services are available in person or via telehealth visits. Read our list of frequently asked questions regarding lung cancer screening . National Cancer Institute: Lung Cancer Screening Lung Cancer Prevention National Lung Screening Trial National Lung Screening Trial - Questions and Answers Lung Cancer Screening (PDQ)- Patient Version Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS.gov): NCA - Screening for Lung Cancer with Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) American Cancer Society: American Cancer Society Guidelines on Lung Cancer Screening Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) A & B Recommendations

The Head and Neck Cancers Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital provides total care, as well as innovative and organ-sparing treatment options to patients with cancers of the head and neck. Our team sets the tone nationally and internationally for clinical trials and state-of-the-art cancer care. By carefully balancing treatment efficacy with quality-of-life, our collaborative approach to care personalizes treatment for tumors affecting the neck, larynx (voice box), pharynx (throat), oral cavity (mouth), ear, sinuses, tonsils, and salivary glands, as well as cervical (neck) lymph nodes or neck structures. Our multidisciplinary team includes head and neck surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, nutritionists, a smoking cessation specialist, dentists, a physical/lymphedema therapist, advanced practice nurses, and social workers. Functional outcome is an important element in deciding which treatment approach is recommended. Our program offers a promising new surgical technique, transoral robotic surgery (TORS), that can be used to remove certain throat cancers while avoiding skin and bone incisions. This approach speeds healing and shortens a patient’s hospital stay. Likewise, patients with certain laryngeal cancers, who a few years ago would have lost their vocal cords and their voices, can often be treated with less invasive surgeries. Patients who undergo these treatments maintain their ability to speak, although they may need to alter their diet or learn new swallowing techniques. At Yale, rehabilitative specialists work with patients to help them adjust to and overcome some of these swallowing impairments. In many cases, radical neck dissections have been replaced by less radical surgeries that preserve the nerves, arteries, and muscles in the neck. Patients continue to move, speak, breathe, and eat normally after less radical surgeries, without sacrificing cure rates. Additionally, in recent years, the field of reconstructive surgery has achieved many breakthroughs, yielding previously unattainable cosmetic and functional outcomes. Medical Oncology Our medical oncologists have unique expertise in head and neck cancers and dedicate their practice entirely to cancers of the head and neck. The integration of chemotherapy with radiation has become very important for patients with head and neck cancers that involve the lymph nodes or is locally extensive, and this approach can lead to organ preservation and increase the chance of cure for many patients. Breakthroughs in targeted therapy and biomarkers allow a personalized approach that can avoid the toxicities of conventional chemotherapy in some cases, and new treatments to prevent recurrence in high-risk situations are also being studied. For patients with recurrent disease, new anti-cancer drugs and immunotherapies are also available. A study led by Yale Cancer Center revealed that the checkpoint inhibitor pembroli