Dr. Benjamin Roman treats thyroid and head and neck cancers at MSK in Manhattan and MSK Monmouth, balancing surgery and active surveillance to preserve quality of life.
Hearing you might have cancer can be a real shock. For many, the immediate assumption is that surgery or radiation or chemotherapy are the only options, and that they need to happen immediately. But that’s not always the case.
Hi, I’m Dr. Benjamin Roman, a thyroid and head and neck surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. I specialize in caring for people with low-risk thyroid nodules and cancers.
My goal is to help you avoid unnecessary treatment and deliver excellent outcomes guided by the best science. Sometimes the right care is surgery, like when there are cancers or nodules on the thyroid. But other times, a less invasive approach can be taken to protect your quality of life. Sometimes that means safely monitoring your condition with regular follow-up appointments, to keep an eye on it.
At MSK, I’m surrounded by colleagues who share this vision, pioneering approaches that balance innovation with finding ways to give less treatment when possible.
I recently saw a mother of two who came to me already scheduled for thyroid surgery. She was so relieved when I explained to her that close monitoring was also a safe option that she broke into tears. For her, it meant far less stress trying to fit surgery and recovery into her family and other obligations.
For me, it reaffirmed what I have always believed: that the best care is the care that fits who you are and where you are in this stage of your life.