Loren Scott Michel, MD

I specialize in treating squamous cell cancer of the mucosal surfaces, including the lips, mouth, throat, voicebox, and nasopharynx. I am particularly interested in treating patients whose tumors are caused by smoking or viruses, such as HPV and the Epstein-Barr virus.

I also have expertise in caring for people with squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. This is a common type of skin cancer that can be deadly if it recurs or spreads to other parts of the body. Incurable squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is rare, but I have extensive experience in treating patients whose disease can’t be cured with surgery or radiation.

I spend a lot of time thinking about the best treatment approach for each patient. It’s critical to find options that will maximize the chance of a cure and minimize side effects. For my patients who have incurable disease, I especially weigh the potential of therapies that will prolong life or reduce symptoms against any side effects. Quality of life always comes first.

The goal of my research is to develop new treatment approaches for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. We recently published the results of the first trial of palbociclib for treating head and neck cancer. Palbociclib is a pill that targets a specific genetic defect that is found in nearly all HPV-unrelated squamous cell cancers of the head and neck. This drug is likely to provide a significant benefit for the treatment of incurable head and neck squamous cell cancer. My long-term goal is to develop more of these types of therapies that will help improve cure rates.