S D Nathanson, MD

Member of the Henry Ford Cancer Institute 

I specialize in Breast Cancer Surgery and Melanoma Surgery.

Breast Cancer
Cancer Surgery

Titles: Chairman, Breast Cancer Research

Biographical Statement: 

Dr. Nathanson specializes in breast cancer management, inherited susceptibility to breast cancer, management of melanoma and sarcoma, and research in sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma and breast cancer.

He earned his medical degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. His post-graduate training was received at the University of Pretoria and the University of the Witwatersrand in Surgery and at the Johannesburg General Hospital. Additional training included: the University of California, Center for Health Sciences, Los Angeles in Immunology; the University of California, Los Angeles in Surgical Oncology; and the University of California, Davis in General Surgery.

Dr. Nathanson is board certified by the American Board of Surgery.

He is a fellowship-trained surgical oncologist. His main clinical interests are: breast, melanoma and soft tissue sarcoma. He is an international authority on sentinel lymph node biopsy and on the reasons why tumors spread to lymph nodes. Dr. Nathanson loves taking care of patients and feels that it is a privilege to be in this position.

He believes that being grateful leads to happiness.

Care Philosophy:

Surgical oncologists treat unusual tumors and must keep abreast of new directions in the management of tumors. I believe that patients should be treated in a humane way and with all the tools available to modern physicians.

Awards and Honors:

Consumers Research Council of America (Washington, DC): Americas Top Surgeons: Surgical Oncology, 2004
Consumers Research Council of America, (Washington, DC): America's Top Oncologist, 2005
America's Top Surgeons, 2004-2005
America's Top Cancer Doctors, 2005-2006.

Dr. Nathanson has been Top Doctor in Hour Detroit for the past 12 years - breast and surgical oncology.

He is in the Top 1% of surgeons and oncologists in the USA (Castle Connolly). He is also a Chair in breast cancer research. He has written and published over 250 papers, book chapters, reviews and has also published one book. He has been awarded NIH grants.