John Phay, MD

About Me

I am an endocrine surgeon focusing on three endocrine glands: the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. I also serve as an associate professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. In my career, I have performed more than 3,500 neck surgeries and over 150 robotic adrenalectomies. We have the third busiest robotic adrenalectomy program in the country. I was rated in the top 10 percent of physicians in the nation for patient satisfaction in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

As a member of the Cancer Biology Program at the OSUCCC – James, my research lab has two projects focused on thyroid cancer. The first is dedicated to examining a novel AMPK activator for the treatment of thyroid cancer. I’m currently studying the mechanism of action to potentially be used synergistically with known BRAF inhibitors. My second research project is creating a molecular imaging agent for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and parathyroid tumors. The calcium sensing-receptor (CaSR) is expressed primarily on parathyroids, thyroid C-cells and the kidney as well as in MTC. Further development may allow preoperative and intraoperative detection to improve surgical outcomes.

I am also the co-holder of European and U.S. patents for an intraoperative use of fluorescence spectroscopy and applications of the same, which has been licensed for a product to identify parathyroids intraoperatively using autofluorescence and recently FDA-approved for such use.

My work in creating a molecular imaging agent for medullary thyroid cancer has shown promising results in mouse models and may allow intraoperative detection to improve surgical outcomes. Additionally, my team is the first to show intraoperative fluorescent imaging of the cervical thoracic duct, which is the most common complication during a neck dissection for cancer.

I have co-authored numerous articles appearing in well-respected publications, including Surgery, Annals of Surgical Oncology and Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. I have also made many presentations to organizations, including the World Molecular Imaging Congress, the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and the Academic Surgical Congress.

Here at Ohio State, we’re fortunate to have one of the few — and best — multidisciplinary treatment teams in the country. We care for patients while also focusing on cutting-edge research. The camaraderie and expertise among my colleagues is fantastic. There is a singular focus among us, and that’s to create a cancer-free world.

Highlights

• Rated in the top 10 percent of physicians in the nation for patient satisfaction, 2016-2019

Procedures and Conditions I Treat

• Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine
• Carcinoid Tumor
• Thyroid Nodule
• Adrenocortical Adenoma
• Adrenocortical Carcinoma
• Ablation Techniques
• Endocrine Cancers
• Thyroid Diseases
• Endocrinology
• Parathyroid Diseases
• Adrenal Gland Cancers
• Pituitary Tumor
• Neuroendocrine Tumors
• Thyroid Cancer
• Parathyroid Cancers
• Gastrointestinal Cancers
• Robotics
• Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures

My Videos

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.