American Head & Neck Society

Advancing Education, Research, and Quality of Care for the Head and Neck oncology patient.

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Published on December 5, 2023 by AHNS Webmaster

In Memory of Dr. Ronald H. Spiro:

Ronald H. Spiro, MD passed away in Jerusalem, Israel on November 22, 2023.

Dr. Spiro was born in New York City (NYC) in 1930. After attending Brooklyn Technical High School and Syracuse University, he then graduated from SUNY Upstate College of Medicine in 1955. He subsequently completed a rotating internship at the Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC, and a residency in general surgery at the Bronx Veteran’s Administration Hospital. He then served in the US Air Force for 2 years as commanding officer of the 3922nd USAF Hospital near Casablanca. Upon returning to the United States Dr Spiro trained as a fellow in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) from 1962 to 1965.

From 1965 to 1972, while in private practice, he organized head and neck clinics in two NYC municipal hospitals and held teaching appointments at both Mount Sinai and New York Medical College. Dr. Spiro then joined the full-time staff at MSKCC until his retirement in 2000, serving as an Attending Surgeon on the Head and Neck Service, and as Professor of Clinical Surgery at Cornell University College of Medicine. During this time, he was very active in the Society of Head and Neck Surgeons (SHNS), ultimately serving as the last president of the SHNS in 1997-1998. He was intimately involved in the negotiations that resulted in the merger of the SHNS with the American Society for Head and Neck Surgery resulting in the formation of the current American Head and Neck Society in 1998.

A prolific author and engaging speaker, Dr. Spiro made many contributions to the management of head and neck cancer. He advocated midline mandibulotomy for access to tumors arising in the oropharynx and pioneered gastric transposition at MSKCC for reconstruction of circumferential defects of the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus. He is best remembered for his research on salivary gland neoplasms. He devised a staging system for cancers of the parotid gland in 1975, and with the pathologist Dr Andrew Huvos published a series of papers focusing on specific types of salivary cancer. He authored the landmark 1986 paper “Salivary Neoplasms: Overview of a 35-Year Experience with 2,807 Patients”. An early adopter of the personal computer, Dr. Spiro in the early 1980s created and maintained a database of all surgical cases performed by the Head and Neck Service at MSKCC. For trainees, he was a skilled editor of both journal submissions and conference presentations.

In an era when preserving quality of life following treatment for head and neck cancer did not command the attention it currently receives, Dr. Spiro advocated strongly for this concept. In delivering the Hayes Martin Lecture to the SHNS in 1993 entitled “Less Can Mean More” he highlighted “…trends towards surgical conservatism that have enhanced the quality of survival in our head and neck cancer patients”. Although Dr. Spiro trained at a time when “work-life balance” was not a significant concern, he modeled this concept to residents and fellows who trained with him. He spent innumerable hours gardening and landscaping his property in New Rochelle, NY, tours of which were featured by the Garden Conservancy. His deep understanding of the natural world dated back to his days as an Eagle Scout, and he served in the local scout troop as scoutmaster for his three sons. An accomplished woodworker and photographer, he also played the piano, enjoyed swimming for fitness, and was an avid reader. He listened to classical music at home and while performing surgery.

His wisdom, compassion, humility, and sense of humor endeared him to his patients, trainees, and colleagues. When discussing the management of complex medical problems, he usually prefaced his remarks with the phrase “In my opinion…”. In journal articles he frequently qualified treatment recommendations with the phrase “…in carefully selected patients”. The many letters he received upon retirement were a testament to his devotion to his patients.

In 2013 Ron and his wife Nina, who were married in 1954, emigrated to Israel to live in Jerusalem close to most of their large extended family. While living in Israel his opinion was frequently solicited regarding medical issues of all kinds. At the time of his death, their family included 4 children, 19 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren who were a source of great joy to him. He will be greatly missed both by his family and by all those who interacted with him during his medical career.

Published on December 4, 2023 by AHNS Webmaster

Endocrine Section AHNSchat Thurs December 14 (5p Pacific/8p Eastern)

THYCA and The AHNS Endocrine Section AHNS Chat

Dear Section Members,

Prepare for the next joint AHNS/ThyCa Chat on Thurs, Dec 14, 2023! These Zoom events have been successful in patient education and popular with ThyCa folks – the last one had 1000+ views and climbing!

The topic of the next AHNS ES Chat is “Preparing for surgery, before and after.” Prelim questions below. If interested in participating as a panelist, please email [email protected]. Happy holidays!

Best regards

Allen Ho

Explore more information by visiting  https://thyca.pub/ThyCaAHNS14Dec23.

Preliminary Questions:

Q1: Does my diagnosis determine what kind of surgery I may need? Please help me understand these terms:

  • Total thyroidectomy vs. partial thyroidectomy
  • Thyroidectomy with central neck dissection vs. lateral neck dissection

Q2: After I know what type of surgery I’ll be having, can you describe the recovery time frame? Will I have a drain and for how long? When can I work? What about exercise?

Q3: Patient Panelists: do you have any helpful tips or suggestions to prepare for surgery?

Q4: Is it true that my calcium levels might drop after surgery? How is that treated?

Q5: Patient Panelists: Did your calcium levels drop after surgery? Was it temporary?

Q6: What will my pain be like and how will that be managed?

Q7: Will I have to stay in the hospital overnight?

Q8*: What can I expect about my voice after surgery?

 

Published on November 29, 2023 by AHNS Webmaster

Webinar Today 7PM (ET) – AHNS Endocrine Surgical Skills: How I do it – Part II

Date: Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

Time: 7:00pm EST/6:00pm CST/5:00pm MST/4:00pm PST

This session is an hour long.

Published on November 20, 2023 by AHNS Webmaster

Call for Self-Nominations for the 2026 International Conference Poster Chair

The AHNS Leadership is seeking self-nominations for an AHNS member to serve as the Poster Chair for the AHNS 2026 International Conference.

The AHNS International Conference occurs every three years and we are looking for someone who can participate as the Poster Chair and be a vital member of the program planning committee.

For more information about the position and to self-nominate, please visit the following form.
The deadline to apply is Friday, December 8th.

If you require additional information or have questions, please contact me at [email protected].

Thank you for your interest in this important position!

Christina Kasendorf
AHNS Executive Director

Published on November 3, 2023 by AHNS Webmaster

Margaret F. Butler Outstanding Mentor of Women in Head and Neck Surgery Award

The American Head and Neck Society and the Women in Head and Neck Surgery Service are soliciting nominations for the Margaret F. Butler Outstanding Mentor of Women in Head and Neck Surgery Award.

Dr. Margaret Butler was the first female otolaryngology chair in the United States. In 1906, she was appointed Chair of Ear, Nose and Throat at Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. As a respected otolaryngologist and an ambassador of the specialty, Dr. Butler provided a blueprint for generations of future female otolaryngologists. The purpose of this Award is to recognize individuals who have demonstrated leadership in promoting gender diversity in the field of Head and Neck Surgery and its related endeavors. A secondary goal is to encourage the training and mentorship of future women leaders in our specialty.

Individuals nominated for this award will have the following qualities:

1. Has demonstrated leadership and a consistent track record of promoting gender diversity and equity in head and neck surgery, and its related fields.

2. Has consistently supported and promoted women in head and neck surgery and its related endeavors, as well as mentoring individuals through merit-based career advancements and promotions.

3. Has measurable impact in the promotion of women in head and neck surgery and its related fields, i.e. career advancement of mentees, mentorship in publications and research, etc.

4. Present or past member of the AHNS is preferred but not required.

Submission requires a nomination letter with a second supporting letter from an AHNS member and the nominee’s CV/Resume, to be uploaded with the application.

Nominations will be accepted until Friday, November 17th, at 5:00 PM EST. Only one application will be accepted per nominee.

The winner will be honored at the Women in Head and Neck Surgery Reception at the AHNS Annual Meeting during COSM on May 15-16, 2024 in Chicago and will receive $1,500 towards conference registration and travel.

Previous Award Winners
2019 – Marion Couch, MD, PhD, MBA

2020 – Cherie-Ann Nathan, MD, FACS
2021 – Lisa Orloff, MD, FACS
2022 – Amy Y. Chen, MD, MPH, FACS
2023 – Anna Pou, MD

Thank you for your submissions!

Amy Anne Lassig, MD, MS and Larissa Sweeny, MD
Co-Chairs, Margaret F. Butler Outstanding Mentor of Women in Head and Neck Surgery Award

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News and Announcements

  • Journal Club May 2025 hosted by the Cutaneous Cancer Section for Skin Cancer Awareness Month May 23, 2025
  • AHNS YMCP Episode 11 – Melina Windon, MD, Janice Farlow, MD, Eric Gantwerker, MD May 8, 2025
  • Artificial Intelligence in Management of H&N Cancer: New Horizons Presented April 28, 2025
  • A conversation with Dr. Uppaluri: Neoadjuvant Therapy for Advanced H&N Mucosal April 25, 2025
  • The End of April Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month Approaches! April 23, 2025

AHNS Meetings and Events

AHNS 2025 Annual Meeting
Held during the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings (COSM)

May 14-18, 2025
Hyatt Regency New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana

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