24 Roswell Park physicians included on 'America's Top Doctors' list

Twenty-four physicians from Roswell Park Cancer Institute have been named to Castle Connolly Medical Ltd.'s 2014 "America's Top Doctors" list. The list is compiled annually on the basis of recommendations from physicians. A regional "Top Doctors" directory appears in the January issue of Buffalo Spree magazine.

"I'm pleased to see not only the large number of Roswell Park physicians included on this year's 'Top Doctors' roster, but also the long and diverse list of specialties for which they've been singled out by their peers," said Dr. Anthony Picone, RPCI medical director.

The 24 RPCI faculty members highlighted in this year's list:

Martin L. Brecher, M.D.,professor of oncology and Waldemar J. Kaminski chair in pediatrics, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and clinical trials.

William G. Cance, M.D., FACS,surgeon-in-chief and chair of the department of surgical oncology, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of pancreatic cancer, endocrine cancers and colon and rectal cancer.

Myron S. Czuczman, M.D.,professor of oncology in the department of medicine; chief of the lymphoma/myeloma service; and head of the lymphoma translational research laboratory, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and clinical trials.

Oscar A. DeLeon, M.D., professor of oncology in the department of anesthesiology and pain medicine and chief of pain medicine, was recognized for special expertise in the area of cancer-related pain.

Todd L. Demmy, M.D., FACS,professor of oncology and clinical chair of the department of thoracic surgery, was cited for special expertise in the areas of lung cancer, thoracic cancers, esophageal cancer and minimally invasive thoracic surgery.

Robert A. Fenstermaker, M.D., professor of neurosurgery and oncology; chair of the department of neurosurgery; and director of the neuro-oncology program, was cited for special expertise in the areas of brain tumors, pituitary tumors, stereotactic radiosurgery and skull-base surgery.

Khurshid A. Guru, M.D.,Robert P. Huben professor in urologic oncology and director of the Roswell Park Center for Robotic Surgery, was cited for special expertise in the areas of robotic surgery, bladder cancer and prostate cancer.

Wesley L. Hicks, Jr., M.D., DDS, FACS,chair of the department of head and neck/plastic and reconstructive surgery and director of the head and neck surgical fellowship program, was cited for special expertise in the areas of head and neck cancer/surgery and reconstructive surgery.

Meghan A. Higman, M.D., Ph.D.,assistant professor of oncology in the department of pediatrics, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of Hodgkin lymphoma, bone marrow transplant and stem cell transplant.

Steven N. Hochwald, M.D., FACS,chief of gastrointestinal surgery; vice chair of department of surgical oncology; and professor of oncology, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of colon and rectal cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Michael R. Kuettel, M.D., Ph.D., MBA,professor and chair of the department of radiation medicine, was recognized for special expertise in the area of prostate cancer.

Shashikant B. Lele, M.D., FACOG,clinical chief of gynecologic oncology and clinical chair of the division of surgical subspecialties, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of ovarian cancer, reconstructive surgery and complex pelvic surgery.

Ellis G. Levine, M.D.,professor of oncology in the department of medicine, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of breast cancer, testicular cancer, bladder cancer and prostate cancer.

James L. Mohler, M.D.,associate director; senior vice president for translational research; and chair of the department of urology, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of prostate cancer and robotic surgery.

Kunle O. Odunsi, M.D., Ph.D., FRCOG, FACOG, chair of the department of gynecologic oncology; M. Steven Piver professor of gynecologic oncology; and executive director of the Center for Immunotherapy, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of ovarian cancer, gynecologic cancer, immunotherapy and clinical trials.

Robert J. Plunkett, M.D.,associate professor of oncology in the department of neurosurgery, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of Parkinson's disease, spasticity and movement disorders, brain tumors and stereotactic radiosurgery.

Dheerendra Prasad, M.D., MC.h, FACRO, medical director of the department of radiation medicine; director of central nervous system and pediatric radiation medicine; director of the gamma knife center; and professor of radiation medicine and neurosurgery, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of stereotactic radiosurgery, brain tumors, spinal cord tumors and trigeminal neuralgia.

Ilene L. Rothman, M.D.,assistant professor of oncology in the department of dermatology, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of pediatric dermatology, atopic dermatitis and skin cancer.

Brahm H. Segal, M.D.,professor of oncology; chief of infectious diseases; and associate member of the department of immunology, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of infections in cancer patients and primary immune deficiencies.

Anurag K. Singh, M.D.,professor of oncology in the department of radiation medicine; director of clinical radiation research; and director of the radiation oncology residency program, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of breast cancer, head and neck cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer.

Donald L. Trump, M.D., FACP,RPCI president and CEO; and professor of oncology in the department of medicine, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of prostate cancer, genitourinary cancer, drug discovery and development and clinical trials.

Meir Wetzler, M.D., FACP,chief of the leukemia section and professor in the department of medicine, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative disorders.

Neal W. Wilkinson, M.D., MPH, FACS,associate professor in the department of surgical oncology, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of gastrointestinal cancer, colon and rectal cancer, and laparoscopic surgery.

Nathalie C. Zeitouni, MDCM, FRCPC, associate professor of oncology in the department of dermatology and chair of the department of dermatology, was recognized for special expertise in the areas of Mohs surgery, skin cancer, dermatologic surgery and melanoma.

On an annual basis, Castle Connolly invites licensed physicians, MDs and doctors of osteopathic medicine to participate in its online nomination process. Physicians can nominate those other doctors they feel are the most outstanding in their medical specialties, indicating also whether they believe that the physician is among the best in their region or among the very best in the nation. A physician-led research team carefully reviews the credentials of every physician being considered for inclusion.

The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1898, RPCI is one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation's leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email [email protected]. Follow Roswell Park on Facebook and Twitter.