Samip Patel, M.D.

Samip Patel, M.D., is a board-certified head and neck surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, specializing in head and neck cancer surgery and reconstructive surgery. He serves as Division Chair for Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and has extensive experience treating cancers and complex conditions affecting the head and neck, including:

• Throat, laryngeal, oral, oropharyngeal, tongue and tonsil cancers
• Thyroid and salivary gland cancers
• Skin cancers of the head and neck
• Paragangliomas and carotid body tumors
• Parotid gland tumors
• Other complex head and neck conditions

Dr. Patel has high-volume expertise in advanced surgical techniques for head and neck cancer, including transoral robotic surgery (TORS), transoral laser microsurgery, neck dissection, parotidectomy, free-flap reconstruction and microvascular reconstruction. He also has advanced training in facial nerve rehabilitation and reconstruction for patients with facial paralysis. His expertise allows him to address not only cancer treatment but also the functional and reconstructive needs that can accompany complex head and neck surgery.

Dr. Patel is part of Mayo Clinic in Florida's high-volume robotic surgery program for head and neck cancer. The program's surgeons were early adopters of single-port robotic technology and have used robotic surgery to treat hundreds of patients with head and neck cancers.

For eligible patients with biopsy-proven tumors of the thyroid, tonsil, tongue base, neck lymph nodes or parotid gland, the team also offers a Next-Day Surgery Program. The program is designed to shorten the time between diagnosis and surgery for select patients, helping reduce the uncertainty and anxiety that can accompany waiting for cancer treatment.

Dr. Patel works as part of a highly trained, integrated team at Mayo Clinic's Comprehensive Cancer Center to develop individualized treatment plans for patients with head and neck cancer. The center brings together experts in surgical oncology, radiation oncology, medical oncology, pathology, radiology and other specialties, providing patients with complex cancers access to specialized, coordinated care.

Dr. Patel believes effective cancer treatment involves combining advanced expertise with an understanding of each patient's individual needs and goals.

"Treating head and neck cancer is about more than removing a tumor — it's also about helping patients maintain the things that matter in everyday life, such as eating, drinking, speaking, hearing and smiling," says Dr. Patel. "That's why we take great care to provide the most effective treatment possible while limiting side effects."

His research focuses on advancing personalized treatment approaches for patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, including the DART 2.0 clinical trial. The study builds on previous Mayo Clinic research investigating whether radiation therapy can be safely de-escalated following head and neck cancer surgery while maintaining effective cancer control and reducing treatment-related side effects.

Outside of Mayo Clinic, Dr. Patel enjoys volunteering on medical mission trips, spending time at the beach, cheering on the Jacksonville Jaguars and spending time with his family.