Mark C. Weissler, MD, FACS

Professor of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery

Professor of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery
Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons Director of the American Board of Otolaryngology

Specialty: 

Head and Neck Cancer; Laryngeal/Tracheal Stenosis; Oral, Oropharyngeal, Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancer; Thyroid Cancer; Cancer of the Parotid and Submandibular Glands; Major and Minor Salivary Gland Cancer.

Contact Information:

  • Appointment Scheduler: (984) 974-0000
  • Surgery Scheduler: Patricia Longest (919) 966-7491
  • Administrative Coordinator: Anna Covington (919) 966-8927

Education:

  • MD: Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 1980
  • Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital,  Harvard University, Boston, MA, 1980-1982
  • Residency: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard University, MA, 1982-1985
  • Fellowship: Head and Neck Oncology Surgery, University of Cincinnati, 1985-1986

Professional Experience:

  • Joseph P. Riddle Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology, UNC School of Medicine, 2000-present
  • Chief, Division of Head and Neck Oncology, Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, UNC School of Medicine, 2001-2019
  • Professor, Division of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surg, Dept. of Surgery, UNC, 1996-2001
  • Associate Professor, Division Of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, UNC School of Medicine, 1993-1996
  • Assistant Professor, Division Of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, UNC School of Medicine, 1986-1992

Honors:

  • Former Chair, Board of Regents, American College of Surgeons
  • Best Doctors in America, 2007-2016 databases
  • America’s Top Doctors recognition for Cancer, published by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., 2007 – 2016
  • America’s Top Doctors recognition for Otolaryngology, published by Castle Connolly Medical, Ltd., 2002 – 2016

Recent Publications:

  • Phase 2 trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and transoral endoscopic surgery with risk-adapted adjuvant therapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Weiss JM, Grilley-Olson JE, Deal AM, Zevallos JP, Chera BS, Paul J, Knowles MF, Usenko D, Weissler MC, Patel S, Hayes DN, Hackman T. Cancer. 2018 Jul 15;124(14):2986-2992.
  • Mature results of a prospective study of deintensified chemoradiotherapy for low-risk human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Chera BS, Amdur RJ, Tepper JE, Tan X, Weiss J, Grilley-Olson JE, Hayes DN, Zanation A, Hackman TG, Patel S, Sheets N, Weissler MC, Mendenhall WM. Cancer. 2018 Jun 1;124(11):2347-2354
  • Pitfalls of post-treatment PET after de-intensified chemoradiotherapy for HPV-associated oropharynx cancer: Secondary analysis of a phase 2 trial. Wang K, Wong TZ, Amdur RJ, Mendenhall WM, Sheets NC, Green R, Thorp BD, Patel SN, Hackman TG, Zanation AM, Weissler MC, Chera BS. Oral Oncol. 2018 Mar;78:108-113.
  • Interaction between known risk factors for head and neck cancer and socioeconomic status: the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Study. Stanford-Moore G, Bradshaw PT, Weissler MC, Zevallos JP, Brennan P, Anantharaman D, Abedi-Ardekani B, Olshan AF. Cancer Causes Control. 2018 Aug 1.
  • Mendelian Randomization and mediation analysis of leukocyte telomere length and risk of lung and head and neck cancers. Kachuri L, Saarela O, Bojesen SE, Davey Smith G, Liu G, Landi MT, Caporaso NE, Christiani DC, Johansson M, Panico S, Overvad K, Trichopoulou A, Vineis P, Scelo G, Zaridze D, Wu X, Albanes D, Diergaarde B, Lagiou P, Macfarlane GJ, Aldrich MC, Tardón A, Rennert G, Olshan AF, Weissler MC, Chen C, Goodman GE, Doherty JA, Ness AR, Bickeböller H, Wichmann HE, Risch A, Field JK, Teare MD, Kiemeney LA, van der Heijden EHFM, Carroll JC, Haugen A, Zienolddiny S, Skaug V, Wünsch-Filho V, Tajara EH, Ayoub Moysés R, Daumas Nunes F, Lam S, Eluf-Neto J, Lacko M, Peters WHM, Le Marchand L, Duell EJ, Andrew AS, Franceschi S, Schabath MB, Manjer J, Arnold S, Lazarus P, Mukeriya A, Swiatkowska B, Janout V, Holcatova I, Stojsic J, Mates D, Lissowska J, Boccia S, Lesseur C, Zong X, McKay JD, Brennan P, Amos CI, Hung RJ. Int J Epidemiol. 2018 Jul 28.
  • Proinflammatory diet is associated with increased risk of squamous cell head and neck cancer. Mazul AL, Shivappa N, Hébert JR, Steck SE, Rodriguez-Ormaza N, Weissler M, Olshan AF, Zevallos JP. Int J Cancer. 2018 Apr 26.
  • Incidence of, and risk factors for, mandibular osteoradionecrosis in patients with oral cavity and oropharynx cancers. Moon DH, Moon SH, Wang K, Weissler MC, Hackman TG, Zanation AM, Thorp BD, Patel SN, Zevallos JP, Marks LB, Chera BS. Oral Oncol. 2017 Sep;72:98-103
  • Poor oral health affects survival in head and neck cancer. Farquhar DR, Divaris K, Mazul AL, Weissler MC, Zevallos JP, Olshan AF. Oral Oncol. 2017 Oct;73:111-117.
  • Incidence of, and risk factors for, mandibular osteoradionecrosis in patients with oral cavity and oropharynx cancers. Dominic H. Moon, Sung Ho Moon, Kyle Wang, Mark C. Weissler, Trevor G. Hackman, Adam M. Zanation, Brian D. Thorp, Samip N. Patel, Jose P. Zevallos, Lawrence B. Marks, Bhishamjit S. Chera. Oral Oncology. 2017 July;72:98-103.
  • Effect of HPV on head and neck cancer patient survival, by region and tumor site: A comparison of 1362 cases across three continents. D’Souza G, Anantharaman D, Gheit T, Abedi-Ardekani B, Beachler DC, Conway DI, Olshan AF, Wunsch-Filho V, Toporcov TN, Ahrens W, Wisniewski K, Merletti F, Boccia S, Tajara EH, Zevallos JP, Levi JE, Weissler MC, Wright S, Scelo G, Mazul AL, Tommasino M, Brennan P, Cadoni G. Oral Oncol. 2016 Nov;62:20-27. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2016.09.005. PMID: 27865368
  • Genome-wide association analyses identify new susceptibility loci for oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer.  Lesseur C, Diergaarde B, Olshan AF, Wünsch-Filho V, Ness AR, Liu G, Lacko M, Eluf-Neto J, Franceschi S, Lagiou P, Macfarlane GJ, Richiardi L, Boccia S, Polesel J, Kjaerheim K, Zaridze D, Johansson M, Menezes AM, Curado MP, Robinson M, Ahrens W, Canova C, Znaor A, Castellsagué X, Conway DI, Holcátová I, Mates D, Vilensky M, Healy CM, Szeszenia-Dąbrowska N, Fabiánová E, Lissowska J, Grandis JR, Weissler MC, Tajara EH, Nunes FD, de Carvalho MB, Thomas S, Hung RJ, Peters WH, Herrero R, Cadoni G, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Steffen A, Agudo A, Shangina O, Xiao X, Gaborieau V, Chabrier A, Anantharaman D, Boffetta P, Amos CI, McKay JD, Brennan P. Nat Genet. 2016 Dec;48(12):1544-1550. doi: 10.1038/ng.3685. PMID: 27749845
  • Oral health and human papillomavirus-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.  Mazul AL, Taylor JM, Divaris K, Weissler MC, Brennan P, Anantharaman D, Abedi-Ardekani B, Olshan AF, Zevallos JP. Cancer. 2016 Aug 29. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30312. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 27571516
  • Impact of post-chemoradiotherapy superselective/selective neck dissection on patient reported quality of life.  Wang K, Amdur RJ, Mendenhall WM, Green R, Aumer S, Hackman TG, Zanation AM, Zevallos JP, Patel SN, Weissler MC, Chera BS. Oral Oncol. 2016 Jul;58:21-6. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2016.04.015. PMID: 27311398
  • Factors that impact health-related quality of life over time for individuals with head and neck cancer.  Reeve BB, Cai J, Zhang H, Weissler MC, Wisniewski K, Gross H, Olshan AF. Laryngoscope. 2016 Dec;126(12):2718-2725. doi: 10.1002/lary.26073. PMID: 27224024
Dr. Weissler