Laurie J. Kirstein, MD, FACS

I perform approximately 350 to 400 procedures each year. I have expertise in oncoplastic procedures to ensure positive cosmetic outcomes and have done research on how best to accomplish this. Regardless of disease stage and treatment plan, I stay involved in my patients’ care throughout treatment — up to and after the time of surgery.

As a physician, it is my job to educate patients about their diagnosis and to help them understand treatment options and recommendations. To that end, I have an exploratory/developmental grant (R21) from the National Institutes of Health to create a resource to educate patients about their surgical options, provide medical facts, debunk myths, and offer coping strategies. By arming them with this information, I hope to help remove some of the fear of the unknown.

I understand the psychological impact a breast cancer diagnosis can bring. It affects not only the patient but also everyone around that individual. When treating a patient, I take into consideration treatment recommendations from an oncologic perspective. But more than that, I view the whole person to understand the emotional impact of this disease.

I truly believe it is a privilege to do what I do, and an honor to be a part of my patients’ lives.

My passion for educating and advocating for people with cancer extends beyond my work at MSK. In addition to serving as the Education Liaison for the American College of Surgeons’ Cancer Programs, I am an active member of the Executive Committee for the Commission on Cancer (CoC). CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for people with cancer by setting standards to promote cancer prevention, research, education, and monitoring of comprehensive quality care. As Chair of the Education Committee, I am involved in national quality-improvement projects focused on helping hospitals across the country get people back to their cancer screenings post-COVID-19, and improving outreach and education around smoking cessation among people with cancer. I am also on a committee working to improve equity in cancer treatment using CoC standards.