Erica B. Friedman, MD

I’ve always been interested in the human body and I decided to pursue the specialty of surgery after my first anatomy class. I chose to focus on treating melanoma and skin cancer because these conditions can affect people of all ages, though they are more common in older people. Also, the opportunity to meet and help a diverse group of people has always appealed to me.

At NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, I treat people who have melanoma or other types of skin cancer, such as basal and squamous cell skin cancer, and other soft tissue tumors. As a melanoma surgeon, I perform wide excisions or a surgical procedure to remove the cancer and sentinel lymph node biopsies—a procedure that checks whether cancer cells are present in nearby lymph nodes—or removal of lymph nodes if the cancer has spread.

I first came to NYU Langone for my general surgery training, where my mentors fueled my interest in skin and soft tissue surgery. My passion for the field drove me to pursue the highest level of specialty training. I am the only surgeon in the United States who received fellowship training in melanoma surgery at the prestigious Melanoma Institute Australia, one of the world’s largest referral centers for melanoma and other types of skin cancer. I trained under a world-renowned melanoma expert, John F. Thompson, MD, and I still collaborate with him regularly on research.

I find my career as a melanoma surgeon extremely satisfying. My role is to not only get rid of the cancer or abnormal growth, but to also pay attention to aesthetic details and help people maintain their physical appearance. When a patient comes to me, I look at the whole person and not just the disease. I excel at communication and spend a lot of time with my patients clearly explaining the diagnosis and treatment process.

Because I trained at NYU Langone, I have a close relationship with the multidisciplinary team that treats melanoma, as well as with the researchers. This helps us collaborate and work toward achieving the highest standards of care for our patients.

I believe in staying up-to-date with the latest research and continually asking questions to improve the way we treat patients. My research focuses on improving surgical techniques to minimize risk of cancer recurrence and maximize functional and cosmetic outcomes. I am also interested in the evolving role of surgery in the treatment of advanced melanoma. I am an active member of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American College of Surgeons.