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Memorial Sloan Kettering Breast Surgeon Giacomo Montagna

Giacomo Montagna, MD, MPH

Breast Surgeon

My Role at MSK

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Oncoplastic Breast Surgery
  • Rare Breast Tumors
  • Breast Cancer
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Dr. Montagna's Office Information
Languages: English, French, and Italian
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About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Director, Rare Breast Cancer Program, Department of Surgery
Get To Know Me

I am a breast surgeon who treats benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous) breast diseases. I am experienced in all the latest surgical approaches for all types of procedures, including:

  • Axillary surgery to access the lymph nodes in the armpit area
  • Oncoplastic breast surgery, such as nipple sparing mastectomy, and breast conservation methods. These procedures can help preserve the physical appearance of the natural breast after cancer treatment.

When patients first meet with me, they are often scared about what lies ahead. They have many questions about how their diagnosis and treatment will affect their quality of life. I take the time to clearly answer their questions, understand their concerns, and explain their options. My goal is to help them make an informed decision about the next steps in their care. I want them to leave my office with an understanding of their disease and a clear treatment plan.

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At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), I work as part of a team that includes experts from:

  • Medical oncology
  • Pathology
  • Plastic surgery
  • Psychology
  • Radiation oncology
  • Radiology

Our goal is to deliver the highest quality of care that offers the best possible result. We start by creating a treatment plan that meets each patient’s personal needs and preferences.

I also have a special interest in studying rare types of breast cancer, such as metaplastic breast cancer and phyllodes tumors. These rare tumors account for approximately 1% of all breast cancers. Their biology is different from that of more common breast cancers, like ductal or lobular cancer. However, there is a lack of research data in this area. As a result, these tumors are treated based on guidance from general breast cancer guidelines.

I also co-lead MSK’s Rare Breast Cancer Program with my colleague, Nour Abuhadra. Our mission is to support people with rare breast tumors throughout their cancer journey, and to advance research in the field.

My Role at MSK

A breast surgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on breasts.

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Oncoplastic Breast Surgery
  • Rare Breast Tumors
  • Breast Cancer
  • Benign Breast Diseases
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
  • CAS, Breast Cancer Treatment, University of Ulm, Germany
  • MPH, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Residencies

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology - Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale and University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland.

Fellowships

  • Oncoplastic Breast Surgery - University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland
  • Clinical Research - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Breast Surgical Oncology - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (Switzerland)

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 and NYC retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

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 (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

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

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

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

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

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

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

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

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

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

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New Patients
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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. Montagna sees patients at two locations.

Office Phone
Location
New York, NY
Montvale, NJ
Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center
300 East 66th Street Floors 1 - 4 New York NY 10065
Get Directions
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen
225 Summit Avenue Montvale NJ 07645
Get Directions

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 Breast Service doctors

Clinical Trials

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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 Publications

Montagna G, Laws A, Ferrucci M, Mrdutt MM, Sun SX, Bademler S, Balbaloglu H, Balint-Lahat N, Banys-Paluchowski M, Barrio AV, Benson J, Bese N, Boughey JC, Boyle MK, Diego EJ, Eden C, Eller R, Goldschmidt M, Hlavin C, Heidinger M, Jelinska J, Karadeniz Cakmak G, Kesmodel SB, King TA, Kuerer HM, Loesch J, Milardi F, Murawa D, Moo TA, Menes TS, Passeri D, Pastoriza JM, Perhavec A, Pislar N, Polidorio N, Rami A, Ryu JM, Schulz A, Sevilimedu V, Ugurlu MU, Uras C, van Hemert A, Wong SM, Yoo TR, Zhang JQ, Karanlik H, Cabioğlu N, Peeters MV, Morrow M, Weber WP; ICARO Study Group. Nodal Burden and Oncologic Outcomes in Patients With Residual Isolated Tumor Cells After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (ypN0i+): The OPBC-05/ICARO Study. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Nov 7:JCO2401052. doi: 10.1200/JCO.24.01052. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39509672

Montagna G, Mrdutt MM, Sun SX, Hlavin C, Diego EJ, Wong SM, Barrio AV, van den Bruele AB, Cabioglu N, Sevilimedu V, Rosenberger LH, Hwang ES, Ingham A, Papassotiropoulos B, Nguyen-Sträuli BD, Kurzeder C, Aybar DD, Vorburger D, Matlac DM, Ostapenko E, Riedel F, Fitzal F, Meani F, Fick F, Sagasser J, Heil J, Karanlik H, Dedes KJ, Romics L, Banys-Paluchowski M, Muslumanoglu M, Perez MDRC, Díaz MC, Heidinger M, Fehr MK, Reinisch M, Tukenmez M, Maggi N, Rocco N, Ditsch N, Gentilini OD, Paulinelli RR, Zarhi SS, Kuemmel S, Bruzas S, di Lascio S, Parissenti TK, Hoskin TL, Güth U, Ovalle V, Tausch C, Kuerer HM, Caudle AS, Boileau JF, Boughey JC, Kühn T, Morrow M, Weber WP. Omission of Axillary Dissection Following Nodal Downstaging With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy. JAMA Oncol. 2024 Apr 25:e240578. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.0578. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38662396; PMCID: PMC11046400.

Weber WP, Matrai Z, Hayoz S, Tausch C, Henke G, Zimmermann F, Montagna G, Fitzal F, Gnant M, Ruhstaller T, Muenst S, Mueller A, Lelièvre L, Heil J, Knauer M, Egle D, Sávolt Á, Heidinger M, Kurzeder C; TAXIS Study Writing Group; Zwahlen DR, Gruber G, Ackerknecht M, Kuemmel S, Bjelic-Radisic V, Smanykó V, Vrieling C, Satler R, Hagen D, Becciolini C, Bucher S, Simonson C, Fehr PM, Gabriel N, Maráz R, Sarlos D, Dedes KJ, Leo C, Berclaz G, Fansa H, Hager C, Reisenberger K, Singer CF, Loibl S, Winkler J, Lam GT, Fehr MK, Kohlik M, Clerc K, Ostapenko V, Maggi N, Schulz A, Andreozzi M, Goldschmidt M, Saccilotto R, Markellou P. Association of Axillary Dissection With Systemic Therapy in Patients With Clinically Node-Positive Breast Cancer. JAMA Surg. 2023 Oct 1;158(10):1013-1021. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2023.2840.PMID: 37466971

Montagna G, Zhang J, Sevilimedu V, Charyn J, Abbate K, Gomez EA, Mehrara B, Morrow M, Barrio AV. Risk Factors and Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Patients With Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema. JAMA Oncol. 2022 Aug 1;8(8):1195-1200. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.1628.PMID: 35679026

Montagna G, Schaffar R, Bordoni A, Spitale A, Terribile DA, Rossi L, Bergeron Y, van der Linden BWA, Konzelmann I, Rohrmann S, Staehelin K, Maspoli-Conconi M, Bulliard JL, Meani F, Pagani O, Rapiti E. Management and Outcome of Young Women (≤40 Years) with Breast Cancer in Switzerland. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Mar 4;14(5):1328. doi: 10.3390/cancers14051328.PMID: 35267635

Read more

Barrio AV, Montagna G, Mamtani A, Sevilimedu V, Edelweiss M, Capko D, Cody HS 3rd, El-Tamer M, Gemignani ML, Heerdt A, Kirstein L, Moo TA, Pilewskie M, Plitas G, Sacchini V, Sclafani L, Tadros A, Van Zee KJ, Morrow M. Nodal Recurrence in Patients With Node-Positive Breast Cancer Treated With Sentinel Node Biopsy Alone After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy-A Rare Event. JAMA Oncol. 2021 Dec 1;7(12):1851-1855. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.4394.PMID: 34617979

Rocco N, Montagna G, Criscitiello C, Nava MB, Privitera F, Taher W, Gloria A, Catanuto G. Nipple Sparing Mastectomy as a Risk-Reducing Procedure for BRCA-Mutated Patients. Genes (Basel). 2021 Feb 10;12(2):253. doi: 10.3390/genes12020253.PMID: 33578759

Dubsky P, Pinker K, Cardoso F, Montagna G, Ritter M, Denkert C, Rubio IT, de Azambuja E, Curigliano G, Gentilini O, Gnant M, Günthert A, Hauser N, Heil J, Knauer M, Knotek-Roggenbauerc M, Knox S, Kovacs T, Kuerer HM, Loibl S, Mannhart M, Meattini I, Penault-Llorca F, Radosevic-Robin N, Sager P, Španić T, Steyerova P, Tausch C, Peeters MTFDV, Weber WP, Cardoso MJ, Poortmans P. Breast conservation and axillary management after primary systemic therapy in patients with early-stage breast cancer: the Lucerne toolbox. Lancet Oncol. 2021 Jan;22(1):e18-e28. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30580-5.PMID: 33387500

Montagna G, Gupta HV, Hannum M, Tan KS, Lee J, Scarpa JR, Plitas G, Irie T, McCormick PJ, Fischer GW, Morrow M, Mincer JS. Intraoperative opioids are associated with improved recurrence-free survival in triple-negative breast cancer. Br J Anaesth. 2021 Feb;126(2):367-376. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2020.10.021. Epub 2020 Nov 19.PMID: 33220939

Montagna G, Sevilimedu V, Fornier M, Jhaveri K, Morrow M, Pilewskie ML. How Effective is Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy (NET) in Downstaging the Axilla and Achieving Breast-Conserving Surgery? Ann Surg Oncol. 2020 Nov;27(12):4702-4710. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-08888-7. Epub 2020 Aug 24.PMID: 32839900

Weber WP, Morrow M, Boniface J, Pusic A, Montagna G, Kappos EA, Ritter M, Haug M, Kurzeder C, Saccilotto R, Schulz A, Benson J, Fitzal F, Matrai Z, Shaw J, Peeters MV, Potter S, Heil J; Oncoplastic Breast Consortium. Knowledge gaps in oncoplastic breast surgery. Lancet Oncol. 2020 Aug;21(8):e375-e385. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(20)30084-X.PMID: 32758475

Montagna G, Mamtani A, Knezevic A, Brogi E, Barrio AV, Morrow M. Selecting Node-Positive Patients for Axillary Downstaging with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol. 2020 Oct;27(11):4515-4522. doi: 10.1245/s10434-020-08650-z. Epub 2020 Jun 2.PMID: 32488513

Montagna G, Morrow M. Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy in breast cancer: what to discuss with patients. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 2020 Mar;20(3):159-166. doi: 10.1080/14737140.2020.1732213. Epub 2020 Feb 28.PMID: 32077338

Montagna G, Schneeberger AR, Rossi L, Reina H, Schwab FD, Schoetzau A, Eichholzer M, Pagani O, Weber WP, Kurzeder C, Güth U, Huber CG. The impact of depression on adherence to organized and opportunistic breast cancer screening. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2020 Jan;29(1):53-59. doi: 10.1097/CEJ.0000000000000520.PMID: 30998527

Montagna G, Schneeberger AR, Rossi L, Bianchi Micheli G, Meani F, Imperiali M, Spitale A, Pagani O. Can we make a portrait of women with inoperable locally advanced breast cancer? Breast. 2017 Jun;33:83-90. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2017.03.002. Epub 2017 Mar 10.PMID: 28288387

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Montagna’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.

Giacomo Montagna discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


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 a complement to other publicly reported data and 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, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). 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].


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