Pictured: Bhuvanesh Singh

Bhuvanesh Singh, MD, PhD, FACS

Head and Neck Surgeon

My Role at MSK

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Surgery for Head & Neck Cancers
  • Mouth Cancer
  • Salivary Gland Cancer

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About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Director, Laboratory of Epithelial Cancer Biology
  • Co-Director, Multidisciplinary Skin Cancer Management Program
Get To Know Me

I am a surgeon who specializes in treating head and neck cancers. I have been practicing at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) for more than 25 years, and have performed over 8,000 procedures, including cancer removals and facial reconstructions.

I focus on cancers of the:

In addition to cancer removal, I have expertise in facial plastic surgery and reconstruction. I use facial plastic and reconstructive surgery for all of my patients to optimize the cosmetic results of cancer surgery. Once my team takes on the responsibility of your treatment, we will aggressively pursue all avenues to achieve a cure. The care that I provide effectively treats my patients’ cancer while helping them look and feel like themselves after surgery.

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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.

My Role 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.

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Surgery for Head & Neck Cancers
  • Mouth Cancer
  • Salivary Gland Cancer
  • Thyroid Cancer
  • Skin Cancer
  • Melanoma
  • Head and Neck Reconstruction
  • Facial Plastic Surgery
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, SUNY Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn

Residencies

  • General Surgery - SUNY Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn
  • Otolaryngology - SUNY Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2024)
  • Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: New York Magazine Top Doctors (2010-2020)

Fellowships

  • Head and Neck Surgery - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

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 retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield New York

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

Blue Cross Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

MSK has a tentative agreement with Cigna to continue coverage in 2024.

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

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

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

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

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

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

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

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

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

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

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

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

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

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

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

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

Current Patients

Request an appointment by logging on to MyMSK or calling your doctor’s office. If you aren’t registered for MyMSK, call 646-227-2593 for your Enrollment ID.

Contact and Location

Dr. Singh sees patients at two locations.

Office Phone
Location
Hauppauge, NY
New York, NY

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

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

Smiling doctors in the lab
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

Selected Books and Book Chapters
“Quality of life and rehabilitation.” Singh B. In: Cancer of the Head and Neck — American Cancer Society Atlas of Clinical Oncology. Shah JP, Patel SG, eds. London: BC Decker; 2001.

“Skin cancers of the head and neck.” Singh B. In: Cancer of the Head and Neck — American Cancer Society Atlas of Clinical Oncology. Shah JP, Patel SG, eds. London: BC Decker; 2001.

“Cervical lymph nodes and unknown primary.” Singh B. In: The Practice of General Surgery. Bland KI, Shah JP, eds. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2002: 279-297.

“Surgical approached to the oral cavity.” Carew J, Singh B, Shah JP. In: Oral Cancer. Shah JP, Batsakis JG, Johnson NW, eds. London: Martin Dunitz; 2003: 249-296.

“Basic science of head and neck cancer.” Singh B. In: Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology. 3rd ed. Shah JP, Patel S, eds. St. Louis: Mosby; 2003: 679-694.

“Quality of life and functional outcome in head and neck cancer.” Singh B. In: Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology. 3rd ed. Shah JP, Patel S, eds. St. Louis: Mosby; 2003: 673-678.

“Thyroid cancer: oncogenes and tumor markers.” Patel KN, Singh B. In: Practical Manual of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disease. Arora A, Tuttle RM, Tolley N, eds. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell; 2010.

“What is the new concept of functional modified neck dissection?” Singh B. In: Pearls and Pitfalls in Head and Neck Surgery. Practical Tips to Minimize Complications. Cernea CR, et al.,  eds. Basel, Switzerland: Karger; 2008: 58-9.

“Nonepidermoid cancers of the head and neck.” Castro J, Kummer BR, Singh B. In: Plastic Surgery: Indications and Practice. Guyuron B, Eriksson E, Persing JA, Chung K, Disa J, Gosain A, Rubin JP, Kinney B, eds. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2009.

Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology. 4th ed. Shah JP, Patel S, Singh B, eds. St. Louis: Mosby; 2012.

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Singh’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

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Bhuvanesh Singh discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Auricula Hearing, LLC
    Fiduciary Role / Position
  • CinSano
    Intellectual Property Rights; Professional Services and Activities
  • Hearing Forever
    Professional Services and Activities (Uncompensated)

If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.


This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2022 through disclosure submission in spring 2023). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


View all disclosures