Smita Sihag, MD, MPH, FACS

I work closely with my colleagues in medical, interventional, and radiation oncology to provide each individual patient with a personalized treatment plan that is specifically tailored to their needs. Patients, as well as their family members, caregivers, and primary care providers, are included in the decision-making process to ensure that they feel well supported. After meeting with me, I want patients to feel a sense of hope and comfort that they will be extremely well cared for.

I also strive to offer patients access to the latest innovations and treatment options. Whenever possible, I use minimally invasive techniques to perform lung and esophageal surgery, including robotics and video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATs). These allow for the use of very small incisions and have been shown to lead to a smoother and faster recovery.

I became a thoracic surgical oncologist because surgery remains the best tool available to treat and cure cancers of the lung and esophagus. I also derive tremendous joy and fulfillment from performing challenging operations and helping patients have excellent outcomes.

In addition to my clinical work, I lead a research effort in collaboration with the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology that is focused on discovering new therapeutic strategies to treat people with esophageal cancer. Our goal is to develop more precise tools for diagnosing and staging esophageal cancer, as well as predicting which patients will respond to certain treatments.

I am also involved with clinical trials investigating targeted treatments and immunotherapy for esophageal cancer, which represent promising areas of advancement in the field.

In my free time, I enjoy long-distance running, traveling to new destinations, and exploring good food and wine in New York City.