David G. Pfister, MD

As Chief of the Head and Neck Oncology Service and Co-Leader of our multidisciplinary disease management team, I work closely with an esteemed and highly coordinated group of medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to provide our patients with the very best care possible.

Collaborative, multidisciplinary care is especially important for cancers of the head and neck because, generally speaking, treatment not only involves a potentially deadly disease but also issues related to physical appearance, function, and quality of life. An approach that I pioneered with Memorial Sloan Kettering colleagues — known as combined modality organ preservation therapy — uses a combination of chemotherapy and radiation to avoid certain surgical procedures feared by patients such as removal of the voice box, with the intent of preserving function and cosmetic appearance without compromising survival.

My current research is focused on evaluating new forms of chemotherapy called targeted therapies, which selectively kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. I am also developing customized combined modality therapies based on prognostic risk, and assessing healthcare outcomes.

I have published extensively, previously serving as an associate editor for Clinical Cancer Research and on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and have been principal investigator on multiple studies.

In addition to being a member of the board of directors for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, I chair the organization’s head and neck cancer practice guidelines panel. I am also on the board of directors for the International Thyroid Oncology Group, and am co-chair of the Head and Neck Cancer Recurrent/Metastatic Disease Task Force at the National Cancer Institute. Here at Memorial Sloan Kettering, I chair the Committee on Metrics of Care Quality and Outcome.