The BLY Foundation has chosen to support the efforts of the head and neck cancer program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2014. Led by Dr. Brett Miles the program is working on fascinating procedures to improve the outcomes of patients being treated for head and neck cancer.

Oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas are the sixth most common cancer in the world. Recent data indicates that the majority of tongue and tonsil cancers in the US will affect younger, non-smoking males. This is due to the Human Papilloma or HPV virus, which is spread through sexual contact.

Through scientific discoveries in the laboratory and the use of image guided surgery including high-resolution microendoscopy the team is able to reduce the morbid effects of surgery providing for a more comfortable recovery and improved quality of life.

As Director of Head and Neck Optical Imaging Research collaboration at Mount Sinai, Dr. Miles is currently evaluating novel imaging technology that would identify cancerous cells while the patient is still in surgery as opposed to afterwards where it is done in a laboratory. This technological advancement would allow for complete excision of all cancerous tissue while sparing as much normal tissue as possible.

Brett A. Miles, MD, DDS, FACS

Dr. Miles is part of the Tisch Cancer Institute as a staff surgeon and oncologist. His research interests include novel optical imaging techniques, robotic surgery, reconstructive surgery and HPV related oropharyngeal cancer.