Welcome to the website for the division of surgical oncology in the department of surgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville. As the largest division in the department of surgery, our faculty members represent several disciplines. All faculty members are certified by the American Board of Surgery.
Ziad T Awad MD, FACS
Patient Care
Due to advances in modern medicine, more and more people who are diagnosed with cancer can now be cured. This requires the correct diagnosis and the most appropriate treatment at an early stage of the disease, which often requires more than one treatment option (surgery, radiation, biologic therapies, chemotherapy).
University of Florida faculty surgeons provide an extensive array of specialized surgical services at UF Health Jacksonville, UF Health North and UF Health East. Our highly qualified and board-certified surgeons are responsible for the evaluation and management of a diverse list of surgical diseases, and are committed to excellence in all aspects of patient care. We focus exclusively on diagnosing and treating cancer as part of the UF Health Jacksonville cancer program. Our UF physicians develop individual surgical treatment plans for patients based on the kind of cancer, location and stage and regularly work with other specialists when other treatment options like radiation and chemotherapy are used. Specially trained physicians on our team are also able to perform minimally invasive surgeries or laparoscopic procedures when appropriate for esophageal, gastric, adrenal, colon and liver cancers, which results in less post-surgical pain and a faster recovery for the patient. We employ the latest and most innovative technologies and therapies to increase the rate of disease-free patient outcomes.
The UF Health Jacksonville campus also houses the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute facility, which was the first proton treatment facility in the Southeastern U.S. for cancer.
The division of surgical oncology has subspecialty programs in:
- Breast Surgery
- Colon and Rectal Surgery
- Endocrine Surgery
Research
Clinical research studies for cancer treatment and prevention include unique UF protocols as well as multi-institutional programs through the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (which merged with the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG) and North Central Cancer Treatment Group (NCCTG) to form the Alliance for Clinical Trails in Oncology in 2011), the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project and the National Cancer Institute.
The development of early-stage translational research activities and programs are the focus of the division of surgical oncology. Rapid translation of scientific discoveries to benefit patient care through active clinical trials is the second focus.
Education
This division provides the core training for the Surgery Residency Program.
We hope you find our site interesting and informative. We have included contact information below if you have questions that are not answered on our page.
Contact Us
For information on the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville division of gastrointestinal surgery and surgical oncology, please contact:
Noamy Ortiz-Minton
Senior Medical Secretary
(904) 244-3940
naomy.ortiz-minton@jax.ufl.edu
Ziad T. Awad, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology
(904) 244-3940
ziad.awad@jax.ufl.edu
Address
Division of Surgical Oncology
UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville
653 West 8th Street, FC12
3rd Floor, Faculty Clinic
Jacksonville, FL 32209
Faculty
Ziad T Awad MD, FACS
Meghan C Daly M.D.
Fady Elabbasy M.D.
Shane Hester DO, FACS, DABS
Ruchir Puri MD, MS, FACS
Jeffrey A Sugandi M.D., FACS
Ayesha A Thomas MD