Doctors Predict HPV Related Throat Cancer Will Soon Be Most Prevalent Among Gen X, Urging Continued Vaccine Education

Dr. Matthew Old, MD, Director of the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at The James, Ohio State University, Comprehensive Cancer Center discusses HPV-related cancer, cancer treatment/detection, and why vaccination is important for older adults.

I am a professor and director of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. I was named to the Castle Connolly list of “Regional Top Doctors” from 2015 to 2019 and was also rated in the top 10 percent of physicians in the nation for patient satisfaction in 2017.

I graduated with honors from Stanford University with a degree in Human Biology and received my MD from the University of Texas-Houston Medical School. After finishing residency at the University of Michigan, I completed a Cranial Base, Microvascular Reconstruction, and Head and Neck Surgery Fellowship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. I was proud to receive many notable academic achievement awards during my education, as well as being a member of Stanford’s NCAA and PAC-10 championship men’s swimming team.

I am currently an active member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, specifically the Head and Neck Education Committee, which ensures members receive the best and most current training in head and neck oncology. I am a member of the American Head and Neck Society with a role on the Microvascular Reconstructive Committee. In addition, I was recently named a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

My surgical and clinical expertise is in head and neck oncology, microvascular reconstruction, skin defect reconstruction, skull base surgery, robotic surgery, paragangliomas and carotid body tumors, and thyroid and parathyroid surgery. I have authored seven chapters on head and neck oncology and reconstruction, and have more than 75 peer-reviewed publications.

My current research is focused on oncolytic viral therapy, HPV and head and neck cancer, and novel therapeutics for head and neck cancer. I’m working on multiple clinical trials with oncolytic viruses for head and neck cancer and metastatic disease.

I believe strongly in the mission of the OSUCCC – James to create a cancer-free world using cutting-edge research and individualized treatment for our patients. I’m humbled and inspired to be part of such a noble cause.