Benjamin Medina, MD

A native of northern New Jersey, Dr. Benjamin Medina received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia, graduating with distinction. He received his medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where he was a member of the AOA honor society. Dr. Medina completed residency training in general surgery at New York University and Bellevue Hospital where he was appointed administrative chief resident. During that time, he also completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in the laboratory of Ronald P. DeMatteo at Memorial Sloan Kettering. He then completed his thoracic surgery residency at MSK, which included training in benign esophageal surgery, lung transplantation, and cardiac surgery at New York Presbyterian Columbia and Cornell.

Dr. Medina specializes in general thoracic surgery with an emphasis in thoracic surgical oncology including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, mediastinal tumors, chest wall tumors, and malignant pleural mesothelioma. To achieve the best possible patient outcomes, he uses robotic and video-assisted thoracoscopic techniques and is a proponent of lung preservation strategies including sub-lobar anatomic resection when appropriate.

Dr. Medina has authored or co-authored papers in Nature, the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Clinical Cancer Research, and the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. His translational research focused on immunology and combined immunotherapy and targeted kinase inhibition. His future research endeavors will explore the role of surgery with immunotherapy and targeted therapies in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting for patients with operable thoracic malignancies. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, family and friends, cycling, cooking, and playing guitar.

Philosophy of Care:

Being diagnoses with cancer is an overwhelming life event and the landscape of treatment options has broadened substantially. When patients and caregivers meeting with me, I want then to know that I, together with a multidisciplinary team of experts. Will take good care of them. I take the time to tailor a treatment plan that maximizes the opportunity to cure a person’s cancer while minimizing the potential complications and side effects of surgery. This includes the use of robotic and lung-sparing techniques to reduce pain, preserve lung function, and enable a quicker return to normal activity.