About Me
I am an otolaryngologist whose primary focus is providing the very best care for our head and neck cancer patients. I do this by combining my 20 years of surgical experience with the expertise of colleagues who can provide radiation and medical therapies if needed as well as with those who provide support for patients as they recover from treatment. As a team, we work together with patients to find the treatments that have the best chance of curing their cancer while minimizing side effects.
After originally joining the OSUCCC – James in 2015 as director of the Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery Division and the Head and Neck Service Line, I currently serve as Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and director of the Head and Neck Disease Specific Research Group. I was also named to the Castle Connolly list of “Regional Top Doctors” from 2011-2019 and hold the Mary E. and John W. Alford Research Chair in Head and Neck Cancer.
As a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James, my research focuses on the origins of intra-tumor heterogeneity during tumor development, novel biomarkers for head and neck cancer, molecular mechanisms that these biomarkers represent and how these biomarkers might inform decisions about therapy. I'm also actively involved in clinical trials at The James and help direct nationwide efforts through my service on the NRG Oncology and ECOG-ACRIN head and neck committees, and as co-chair of the NCI Head and Neck Task Force on Metastatic and Recurrent Disease.
Additionally, I have co-authored many articles in well-known publications, including Cancer Cell, Cell, PLoS Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, Genome Research and Cancer.
Working at the OSUCCC – James is very inspiring. Everyone is committed to cutting-edge research methods and developing crucial relationships with our patients so we can provide exceptional individualized care. It’s very rewarding to see the results of our work in our patients’ lives.
Highlights
- Named to Castle Connolly's Regional Top Doctors list
- Rated in the top 10 percent of physicians in the nation for patient satisfaction, 2017
- Hold the Mary E. and John W. Alford Research Chair in Head and Neck Cancer
Procedures and Conditions I Treat
- Head and Neck Cancer
- Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures
- Otolaryngology
- Skull Base Tumors
- Nose Cancers
- Carotid Body Tumor
- Oropharyngeal Cancers
- Robotics
- Salivary Gland Cancers
- Hypopharyngeal Cancers
- Parotid Cancers
- Pharyngeal Cancers
- Tongue Cancers
- Tonsillar Cancers
- Laryngeal Cancers
- Ear Cancer
- Lip Cancers
- Paranasal Sinus Cancers
- Maxillary Sinus Cancers
Education and Training
Education History
Graduate
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
7/1/1986 - 5/12/1994
Medical School
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
7/1/1986 - 5/12/1994
Internship
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
7/1/1994 - 6/30/1995
Residency
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
7/1/1995 - 6/30/1999
Board Certification
American Board of Otolaryngology
4/24/2000
Academic Information
My Department
Otolaryngology
My Division
Otolaryngology
Reviews
The overall patient satisfaction rating is an average of all patient responses to the six doctor communication related questions shown below from the Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. For additional information about the patient satisfaction survey, please visit our Patient Satisfaction Survey page.
The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their view and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
63 Patient Satisfaction Reviews
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Overall
4.9 out of 5
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Kept you informed about your condition and treatment
4.9 out of 5
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Amount of time spent with you
4.9 out of 5
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Concern for your questions and issues
4.9 out of 5
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Skill and knowledge
4.9 out of 5
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Overall quality of care
4.9 out of 5
Consulting and Related Relationships
At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we support a faculty member’s research and consulting in collaboration with medical device, research and/or drug companies because a faculty member’s expertise can guide important advancements in the practice of medicine and improve patient care. In order to provide effective management of these relationships, the University requires annual disclosures from all faculty members with external interests related to their University responsibilities.
As of 09/30/2022, Dr. Rocco has reported no relationships with companies or entities.
I see a lot of different doctors for different problems but I have to say Dr Rocco has been the most informative.
Explained in terms of my understanding along with medical information.
I fully trust my care to Dr. Rocco and his staff.
Good.
Dr. Rocco and staff are a class act.
Dr. Rocco always provides me with all the information I need to make an informed decision. I have never found a doctor as committed to answering patient questions and fully explaining their options as he is.