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Featured Adult Specialty Care

Multidisciplinary Team of Experts Provides State-of-the-Art Treatment for Complex Head and Neck Cancers

At Boston Medical Center (BMC), the care of patients with head and neck cancer is a collaborative, multidisciplinary process managed by expert physicians. Our patient-centered care approach brings together the expertise of diverse specialists who guide the entire process from the patient’s first visit and diagnosis through treatment and follow-up care—all in one location.

With state-of-the-art expertise and the advances of an academic medical center, BMC is a major provider in the Northeast for primary and tertiary referrals of patients for the management of head and neck malignancies. BMC evaluates and manages both early-stage and aggressive cancers. Additionally, our caregivers help patients adjust to life from diagnosis through treatment and recovery, and encourage patients to participate in the Cancer Survivorship Program with an array of support groups, workshops, lectures and activities.

Expert care. Over the past several years, BMC’s Head and Neck Surgical Oncology service has become a regional referral center. This department uses state-of-the-art treatments for head and neck and oral cancer including transoral robotic surgery, endoscopic skull base surgery, minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery, minimally invasive airway and laryngeal surgery, and comprehensive microvascular and facial plastic reconstruction.

Patient-focused approach. BMC provides personal, compassionate, patient-focused care in a multidisciplinary clinical center entirely organized around the patient. Using the latest advances in surgery, targeted drug therapies and precision-delivered radiation therapy, BMC’s patients are offered the most outstanding and comprehensive treatments for head and neck cancers available.

Innovative technology and treatment options. BMC was among the first hospitals in New England to utilize CyberKnife for treatment of head and neck cancers. CyberKnife provides advantages in treating hard to reach tumors anywhere in the body, many of which may otherwise be inoperable. Radiation is delivered in small but precise amounts and exposure to surrounding healthy tissues is limited. These treatments allow for pinpoint accuracy and the achievement of surgical-like outcomes noninvasively, without pain or anesthesia.

Multidisciplinary collaboration. BMC’s multidisciplinary team includes experts in head and neck surgery, skull base surgery, oral maxillofacial surgery, speech and swallowing therapy, radiation oncology, medical oncology as well as specialized nurses, nurse practitioners and patient navigators. These team members assist patients through the entire process from diagnosis through treatment and recovery.

Members of this exceptional surgical team include:

Scharukh Jalisi, MD, FACS
Director, Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery and Skullbase Surgery
Head and Neck Surgery & Department of Neurological Surgery
Highly experienced in the treatment of head and neck cancers, Dr. Jalisi leads the Head and Neck Surgical Oncology team at Boston Medical Center. He brings to the program considerable expertise in both traditional and minimally invasive skullbase surgery, as well as microvascular and facial reconstructive surgery. Email Dr. Jalisi at Scharukh.Jalisi@bmc.org.

Gregory Grillone, MD, FACS
Associate Professor and Vice Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology– Head and Neck Surgery
The director of the Center for Voice and Swallowing and the leader of the transoral robotic surgery (TORS) team at BMC, Dr. Grillone has advanced experience in treating patients with cancers of the head and neck. He is responsible for bringing the minimally invasive TORS technology to Massachusetts, which is only available at Boston Medical Center. Email Dr. Grillone at Gregory.Grillone@bmc.org.

Andrew Salama, DDS, MD, FACS
Director, Advanced Specialty Education Program in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Dr. Salama is dually qualified in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and he is the only oral and maxillofacial surgeon with a full-scope oncology practice in the region. His primary clinical interests include treatment of head and neck malignancies and benign tumors, microvascular reconstruction and surgical management of craniofacial trauma. Email Dr. Salama at Andrew.Salama@bmc.org.

Waleed H. Ezzat, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery
Specialized in advanced head and neck reconstructive surgery, Dr. Ezzat also has extensive skills and expertise in oncologic ablative surgery, aesthetic facial plastic surgery, reconstruction after Mohs Surgery, microvascular surgery and treatment of facial nerve paralysis. Email Dr. Ezzat at Waleed.Ezzat@bmc.org.

Refer a patient by with a single phone call or email the Head and Neck Referral Hotline. Call BMC Connect at 877.781.4763, or email HNC.Center@Bmc.org. Patients with a diagnosis or strong suspicion of cancer receive priority appointments within 72 hours.

 
BMC was among the first hospitals in New England to utilize CyberKnife for treatment of head and neck cancers.

Related News

Cancer Care Center Newsletter with focus on Head & Neck Cancer

News In Brief: BMC’s Multidisciplinary Experts Treat Complex Head and Neck Cancers (PDF)