Daniela Molena, MD

I perform about 500 operations each year and care for approximately 1,500 patients annually. Whenever possible, I use minimally invasive techniques such as video-assisted thoracic surgery and laparoscopic or robotic procedures to decrease pain and enhance recovery.

I strive to provide excellent and individualized care to my patients. As a strong patient advocate, I try to involve both patients and caregivers and work with them as a team from diagnosis to recovery and follow-up.

A cancer diagnosis is a very stressful event for patients and their loved ones. Patients often fear for their lives and worry about burdening their family members. I feel honored that patients trust me during such a challenging time to help them with decisions that are difficult and complex. I always reassure my patients that we are in this fight together and I hope they feel encouraged, understood, and confident that they have me as an ally along the way.

Every patient is unique and I work with experts from multiple disciplines to develop the best treatment plan that is tailored to their specific needs. It’s fulfilling to see patients go back to their lives, cancer-free. I also thrive on the complexity of thoracic oncology and the opportunities I have to move the field forward.  

As Director of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Esophageal Program, I lead a supportive team that helps people with esophageal cancer understand what to expect during their journey, prepares them for surgery, and helps them recover as quickly as possible. I also developed MSK’s Barrett’s program in collaboration with my colleagues in gastroenterology to identify people who are at risk of developing esophageal cancer and help prevent progression.

I study and integrate new technology and novel surgical approaches to make surgery more precise and effective. For example, for people early stage disease, we are able to save the esophagus and remove the cancer using an endoscope through the mouth. We can also remove and reconstruct the esophagus using small incisions and a camera either with minimally invasive or robotic approaches. For those who have more advanced cancer, we offer personalized treatments that are based on the patient’s specific genomic analysis.

My research focuses on zeroing in on ways to improve clinical and functional outcomes after surgery, designing clinical pathways to decrease costs and improve results, and identifying racial and socioeconomic disparities that limit access to excellent care.

I co-lead several clinical trials that are investigating the role of immunotherapy and/or targeted therapy before or after surgery in patients with esophageal cancer. I am also Principal Investigator of a trial that aims to identify sentinel nodes in esophageal cancer in order to limit surgical dissection in the future.

I am the vice president of Women in Thoracic Surgery and have a leadership role of several thoracic organizations in the US and abroad. I am also editor and associate editor of national and international thoracic journals.

Outside of work, I love to travel and go on family vacations with my husband, son, and daughter. I look forward to visiting my family back in Italy and hiking in the Dolomite Mountains there, which holds a very special place in my heart. We also like to sail on the Long Island Sound and have chartered boats in the Caribbean.

I have a green thumb and my home is filled with many plants. It gives me great pleasure to see plants grow. Every new leaf is a celebration. I especially enjoy rescuing orchids, which my husband sometimes finds in the trash and carries them home for me to bring back to life! I re-pot them and fix their roots and when they flower their beauty brightens my day and makes me happy!

My dog Spritz also brings me joy. We adopted our adorable, 90-pound chocolate mud from a shelter. He looks like a chocolate lab but has seven different breeds in him (I checked his DNA!) He is my baby now that our kids have left the house and we are empty nesters!