Jonathan R. George, MD, MPH

Dr. Jonathan R. George is a surgeon specializing in head and neck surgery. His primary areas of focus are thyroid and parathyroid diseases, melanoma and other skin cancers of the head and neck, and cancers of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts. He is a member of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.

George provides comprehensive diagnoses and care for thyroid nodules and multinodular goiters as well as for newly diagnosed and recurrent thyroid cancers. His specialties include treating massive goiters, treating thyroid cancers that have spread to areas around the thyroid and performing complex neck surgeries for thyroid cancers that have spread to surrounding regions of the body. He also cares for patients with all forms of hyperparathyroidism, a hormonal disorder that occurs when parathyroid glands become enlarged and overactive.

When treating patients with melanoma and other skin cancers, George's care includes wide excision (the removal of the tumor along with some normal tissue around it to assure complete removal), sentinel lymph node biopsy (the removal of lymph node tissue to examine microscopically for cancer) and neck dissection (to remove cancer in the neck). He provides superior aesthetic outcomes by coordinating with UCSF providers of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.

George's research focuses on prospective clinical trials for targeted treatments of head and neck cancers.

George earned his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, graduating with honors. He earned a master of public health degree in head and neck cancer epidemiology at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. He then completed a two-year clinical and translational research fellowship in head and neck cancer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He completed a residency in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at UCSF, followed by a fellowship in advanced head and neck surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. George was trained in complex thyroid surgery by master surgeons Gary Clayman and Lisa Orloff.

George is a member of the American Head and Neck Society and American Thyroid Association. He is a surgeon member of UCSF's multidisciplinary programs in head and neck oncology, melanoma oncology and cutaneous oncology.

George is committed to providing compassionate care with a focus on cure and excellent outcomes while maintaining a relationship with each patient in which he is directly accessible. He provides expedited consultations for all patients. To request an evaluation, please email him at [email protected] or call his clinic at (415) 514-4890 or (415) 885-7528, fax (415) 885-7711.