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James Huang, MD

James Huang, MD

Thoracic Surgeon

My Role at MSK

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Lung Cancer
  • Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma
  • Mediastinal Tumors
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Dr. Huang's Office Information
Languages: English
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About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Program Director, Thoracic Surgery Fellowship and Residency
  • Associate Vice Chair of Education, Department of Surgery
Get To Know Me

I am a surgeon who specializes in treating cancers of the chest, including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, thymoma, thymic carcinoma, mediastinal tumors, mesothelioma, and cancer that has metastasized (spread) to the lung from other parts of the body.

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When possible, I utilize minimally invasive surgical techniques to reduce pain and speed the recovery process. I have extensive experience using video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), which permits the removal of lung tumors through small incisions, and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), which provides a much less invasive method to biopsy and stage lung cancer.

When faced with a cancer diagnosis, most people have a high degree of anxiety, uncertainty, and urgency. My job is to answer all of their questions, explain everything thoroughly, and put their minds at ease. It is important to make sure patients and their families never feel rushed and come away with a clear understanding about the disease and the treatment options being considered. When I meet with patients, I want them to know that they have my full and undivided attention, feel confident in their treatment plan, and be reassured that they are in good hands.

In fact, I became interested in oncology because I wanted to contribute to the enormous progress that has been made in cancer treatment. Providing optimal care and comfort to people diagnosed with cancer is incredibly fulfilling.

My lung cancer research includes the full spectrum of disease stages, from early and pre-invasive cancer to advanced metastatic disease. I am the Principal Investigator for a multi-center, prospective trial testing active surveillance (a “watch and wait” approach) for patients with ground glass opacities, hazy gray areas that can show up in CT scans or X-rays of the lungs when the lungs are sick. I am also a co-investigator on a randomized study offering surgery to patients who have limited metastatic lung cancer and harbor an EGFR mutation. Additionally, I am an active member of an international committee of experts responsible for overseeing the staging system for lung cancer. 

I also have a special interest in the research and treatment of rare and complex tumors such as thymoma and thymic carcinoma. By examining the genetic and molecular characteristics of these tumors, we can better understand how they develop and create new targeted therapies to treat them.

To enhance the quality of our care for rare diseases, I developed and maintain a thymoma database to follow the outcomes of patients who have been treated at MSK. The treatment of these tumors requires a collaborative effort among surgeons, oncologists, and radiation oncologists, and we are fortunate here at Memorial Sloan Kettering to have a team of experts specifically focused in thymoma and thymic cancers. My colleagues and I are actively pursuing clinical trials to find more-effective therapies to treat these rare cancers.

My interest in rare diseases spans to other areas such as sarcoma. I work closely with our team of sarcoma experts in managing sarcomas in the chest and in the lungs.

I also have a strong interest in surgical education and am committed to training future leaders in thoracic surgery. The interactions we have with our fellows and students provide a continual source of renewal and enrichment. Training the next generation of physicians and surgeons is a unique privilege that will continue to advance our fight against cancer.

I am the Program Director for our Thoracic Surgery training programs and the Associate Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Surgery. I have participated in several national committees on surgical education that oversee thoracic surgery training programs in the United States and have served as an examiner for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery to certify new thoracic surgeons.

I see patients in Manhattan, as well as at our outpatient facility in Commack. As someone with long-standing family ties to Suffolk County, I have a special commitment to our Long Island community.

My Role at MSK

A thoracic (thor-A-sik) surgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on the chest, lungs, trachea (windpipe), and thymus.

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Lung Cancer
  • Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma
  • Mediastinal Tumors
  • Sarcoma
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Minimally Invasive Surgery
  • Pulmonary Metastases
  • Mesothelioma
  • Bronchoscopy
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Columbia University

Residencies

  • General Surgery - Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: Top AAPI Doctor (2024)
  • 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 (2016, 2018-2020)

Fellowships

  • Thoracic Surgery - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

  • Thoracic Surgery
  • General 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 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.

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Current Patients
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Contact and Location

Dr. Huang sees patients at two locations.

Office Phone
Location
Commack, NY
New York, NY
Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack Nonna’s Garden Foundation Center
650 Commack Road Commack NY 11725
Get Directions
David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
530 East 74th Street New York NY 10021
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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 Thoracic 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 Book Chapters

Zhao T, Huang J. Right Lower Lobe Lobectomy. In: Wang J, Ferguson M, eds. Atlas of Minimally Invasive Surgery for Lung and Esophageal Cancer. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer; 2017.

Ahmad U, Huang J. Tumors of the Thymus. In: LoCicero J, Feins R, Rocco G, Colson Y, Meyers B, eds. Shield’s General Thoracic Surgery. 8th ed. Philadelphia, USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2018.

Articles in Journals

Yu HA, Sima CS, Huang J, Solomon SB, Rimner A, Paik P, Pietanza MC, Azzoli CG, Rizvi NA, Krug LM, Miller VA, Kris MG, Riely GJ. Local therapy with continued EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy as a treatment strategy in EGFR-mutant advanced lung cancers that have developed acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. J Thorac Oncol. 2013 Mar;8(3):346-51.

Sarkaria IS, Rizk NP, Finley DJ, Bains MS, Adusumilli PS, Huang J, Rusch VW. Combined thoracoscopic and laparoscopic robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy using a four-arm platform: experience, technique and cautions during early procedure development. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2013 Jan 30.

Read more

Huang J, Rizk NP, Travis WD, Riely GJ, Park BJ, Bains MS, Dycoco J, Flores RM, Downey RJ, Rusch VW.  Comparison of patterns of relapse in thymic carcinoma and thymoma. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2009 Jul;138(1):26-31. 

Huang, J., Rizk, NP., Travis, WD., Seshan, VE., Bains, MS., Dycoco, J., Downey, RJ., Flores, RM., Park, BJ., Rusch, VW. Feasibility of multimodality therapy including extended resections in Stage IVA thymoma. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 134(6):1477-83, 2007 Dec.

Huang J, Ahmad U, Antonicelli A, Catlin AC, Fang W, Gomez D, Loehrer P, Lucchi M, Marom E, Nicholson A, Ruffini E, Travis W, Van Schil P, Wakelee H, Yao X, Detterbeck F; on behalf of the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group International Database Committee and Contributors. Development of the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group International Database: an unprecedented resource for the study of a rare group of tumors. J Thorac Oncol. 2014; 9(10)1573-8

Robinson EM, Ilonen IK, Tan KS, Plodkowski AJ, Bott M, Bains MS, Adusumilli PS, Park BJ, Rusch VW, Jones DR, Huang J. Prevalence of occult peribronchial N1 nodal metastasis in peripheral clinical N0 <2 cm NSCLC. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020 Jan;109(1):270-276.

Neal JW, Costa DB, Muzikansky A, Shrager JB, Lanuti M, Huang J, Ramachandran KJ, Rangachari D, Huberman MS, Piotrowska Z, Kris MG, Azzoli CG, Sequist LV, Chaft JE. Randomized phase II study of 3 months or 2 years of adjuvant afatinib in patients with surgically resected stage I-III EGFR-mutant non–small-cell lung cancer. JCO Precis Oncol. 2021;5:325-332.

Vimolratana M, Sarkaria IS, Goldman DA, Rizk NP, Tan KS, Bains MS, Adusumilli PS, Sihag S, Isbell JM, Huang J, Park BJ, Molena D, Rusch VW, Jones DR, Bott MJ. Two-year quality of life outcomes after robotic-assisted minimally invasive and open esophagectomy. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020.

Caso R, Jones GD, Bains MS, Hsu M, Tan KS, Feldman DR, Funt SA, Reuter VE, Bosl GJ, McHugh D, Huang J, Molena D, Amar D, Fischer G, Rusch VW, Jones DR. Outcomes after multidisciplinary management of primary mediastinal germ cell tumors. Ann Surg. 2020 Jan 21.

Zhou J, Sanchez-Vega F, Caso R, Tan KS, Brandt WS, Jones GD, Yan S, Adusumilli PS, Bott M, Huang J, Isbell JM, Sihag S, Molena D, Rusch VW, Chatila WK, Rekhtman N, Yang F, Ladanyi M, Solit DB, Berger MF, Schultz N, Jones DR. Analysis of tumor genomic pathway alterations using broad-panel next-generation sequencing in surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2019 Dec 15;25(24):7475-7484.

Chudgar NP, Brennan MF, Munhoz RR, Bucciarelli PR, Tan KS, D’Angelo SP, Bains MS, Bott M, Huang J, Park BJ, Rusch VW, Adusumilli PS, Tap WD, Singer S, Jones DR. Pulmonary metastasectomy with therapeutic intent for soft-tissue sarcoma. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2017 Jul;154(1):319-330

Eguchi T, Bains S, Lee MC, Tan KS, Hristov B, Buitrago DH, Bains MS, Downey RJ, Huang J, Isbell JM, Park BJ, Rusch VW, Jones DR, Adusumilli PS. Impact of Increasing Age on Cause-Specific Mortality and Morbidity in Patients With Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Competing Risks Analysis. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Jan 20;35(3):281-290.

Yang HX, Woo KM, Sima CS, Bains MS, Adusumilli PS, Huang J, Finley DJ, Rizk NP, Rusch VW, Jones DR, Park BJ. Long-term Survival Based on the Surgical Approach to Lobectomy For Clinical Stage I Nons mall Cell Lung Cancer: Comparison of Robotic, Video-assisted Thoracic Surgery, and Thoracotomy Lobectomy. Ann Surg. 2017 Feb;265(2):431-437.

Flores RM, Ihekweazu UN, Rizk N, Dycoco J, Bains MS, Downey RJ, Adusumilli P, Finley DJ, Huang J, Rusch VW, Sarkaria I, Park B. Patterns of recurrence and incidence of second primary tumors after lobectomy by means of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) versus thoracotomy for lung cancer. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2011;141(1):59-64.

Huang J, Detterbeck FC, Wang Z, Loehrer PJ Sr. Standard outcome measures for thymic malignancies. J Thorac Oncol. 2010;5(12):2017-23.

Fabre D, Fadel E, Mussot S, Mercier O, Petkova B, Besse B, Huang J, Dartevelle PG. Long-term outcome of pleuropneumonectomy for Masaoka stage IVa thymoma. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2011;39(5):e133-8.

McMillan RR, Sima CS, Moraco NH, Rusch VW, Huang J. Recurrence patterns after resection of soft tissue sarcomas of the chest wall. Ann Thorac Surg. 2013;96(4):1223-1228.

Huang J, Logue AE, Ostroff JS, Park BJ, McCabe M, Jones DR, Bains MS, Rizk NP, Kris MG, Rusch VW. Improving the long-term care of lung cancer patients: development of a novel thoracic survivorship program. Ann Thorac Surg. 2014 Sep; 98(3):955-61.

Lou F, Sima CS, Rusch VW, Jones DR, Huang J. Differences in patterns of recurrence in early-stage versus locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Ann Thorac Surg. 2014;98(5):1755-60; discussion 1760-1.

Detterbeck FC, Stratton K, Giroux D, Asamura H, Crowley J, Falkson C, Filosso PL, Frazier AA, Giaccone G, Huang J, Kim J, Kondo K, Lucchi M, Marino M, Marom EM, Nicholson AG, Okumura M, Ruffini E, Van Schil P; Staging and Prognostic Factors Committee; Members of the Advisory Boards; Participating Institutions of the Thymic Domain. The IASLC/ITMIG Thymic Epithelial Tumors Staging Project: Proposal for an Evidence-Based Stage Classification System for the Forthcoming (8th) Edition of the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors. J Thorac Oncol. 2014;9(9 Suppl 2):S65-72.

Rami-Porta R, Bolejack V, Giroux DJ, Chansky K, Crowley J, Asamura H, Goldstraw P; International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Staging and Prognostic Factors Committee, Advisory Board Members and Participating Institutions. The IASLC lung cancer staging project: the new database to inform the eighth edition of the TNM classification of lung cancer. J Thorac Oncol. 2014;9(11):1618-24.

 

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.

James Huang 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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