Michael Paul Kuncewitch MD

Martin Karpeh, MD, is the director of surgical oncology at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute for Northwell facilities across eastern Long Island. He is based at Huntington Hospital, where he is chair of surgery.Dr. Karpeh specializes in gastrointestinal tumors, including stomach and esophageal cancer, and cancers of the gastroesophageal junction-the area where the esophagus and stomach join. In the 1990s, he helped introduce minimally invasive laparoscopic staging techniques that now guide treatment decisions, helping doctors determine whether patients receive chemotherapy before surgery for gastroesophageal junction cancer. He also treats soft tissue sarcomas and skin cancers, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma.Passionate about helping others from a young age, Dr. Karpeh was inspired to go into medicine by his parents-his father was a physician, his mother a pharmacist. "I couldn't imagine doing anything else," he says.After a surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Karpeh spent more than a decade there as an attending. He then spent 20 years leading surgical oncology programs at Stony Brook University Medical Center, Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health.At the Cancer Institute, a well-integrated team approach to care ensures Dr. Karpeh's patients receive the best possible treatment. "We draw on specialists from all the hospitals affiliated with the health system at our multidisciplinary tumor boards," he says.Dr. Karpeh has spent decades working in clinical trial development and frequently refers patients to national and international clinical studies. He is involved in translational research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to identify treatment targets in stomach and esophageal cancers, and has published more than 100 journal articles on stomach and gastroesophageal junction cancer.A member of the International Gastric Cancer Association, the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American Surgical Association, Dr. Karpeh is also the former president of the New York Surgical Society, New York Cancer Society and the Society of Black Academic Surgeons. Additionally, he has been named a Castle Connelly Top Doctor and New York Magazine Top Doctor over many years.His patients drive his dedication to the field. "You have to take the time to ask questions and carefully listen to your patients to understand exactly what their unique needs are," he says.

Gerardo Jerry Vitiello, MD, joined Northwell Health as an academic surgical oncologist in 2023. He specializes in treating liver, bile duct, gallbladder, pancreas and stomach cancer, as well as melanoma and soft tissue sarcomas including gastrointestinal stromal tumor. An avid baseball player growing up, Dr. Vitiello started medical school at Emory University thinking he d go into orthopedics, but surgical oncology clicked for him during his third year. I liked the critical thinking aspect of being a surgical oncologist; it wasn t can we do more? but rather when and how can we optimize treatment for this person? I also liked approaching care in terms of the whole body, not just one specific location. After completing a residency at NYU Langone Health and a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he was drawn to the Northwell Health Cancer Institute for its one-stop approach to cancer treatment. All consultations and appointments are set up in one visit, which streamlines the process for patients, he says. And our team meets weekly to get multi-disciplinary feedback on each patient case so that everyone is on the same page and next steps are expedited. Dr. Vitiello has published more than 30 research manuscripts and is working with other oncologists and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory scientists to study the role of systemic immune and metabolic responses to cancer. I really enjoy finding information to push the field forward. How can I improve the lives of my patients and everyone else too? Cancer therapy is dynamic, and we re always learning more. In addition to research, empowering his patients is what inspires Dr. Vitiello day to day. When someone learns they have cancer, their biggest fear is the loss of control. Feeling at the mercy of the disease and being overwhelmed with information is very stressful. In my first meeting with a patient, I focus on creating a clear and simple plan regarding next steps and things that they can control. He works with patients on holistic aspects of care such as diet and exercise, referring them to specialists if necessary. The idea is to get them in the best possible shape to fight the cancer and tolerate the treatment, he says. At the end of the day, my goal is to get to the post-operative conversation with good news. The thrill of saying, We did the right things and here s the proof , that s what really drives me.