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William
Faquin, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Pathology
Divisions of ENT Pathology and Cytopathology
Warren 219
Massachusetts General Hospital
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-573-3957
Fax: 617-573-3389
Email:
wfaquin@partners.org
Affiliations:
Massachusetts
Eye and Ear Infirmary
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Sign out: ENT pathology, Cytopathology, Frozen
Sections, and the FNA service.
My research focuses
on neoplasms involving the head and neck with particular
interest in tumors of the thyroid and salivary glands.
Thyroid nodules occur in up to 70% of the population,
and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is usually
the first step in the evaluation of a thyroid nodule.
A variety of cancers affect the thyroid gland including
papillary thyroid carcinoma, the most common type,
and anaplastic carcinoma, one of the most lethal cancers
affecting humans. Since the majority of thyroid nodules
are benign with only a small percentage actually representing
thyroid malignancies, accuracy in the interpretation
of the needle biopsy is essential to minimize unnecessary
surgery for benign nodules and yet detect any cancers
that would warrant surgical intervention. A major
objective of my research has been to define cytomorphologic
parameters and to develop immunocytochemical tests
to improve the diagnostic accuracy of FNAB as a test
for thyroid cancer.
While tumors of the salivary gland are much less common
than those in the thyroid, I am using similar approaches
to study and improve our ability to accurately diagnose
these tumors both in FNAB samples as well as in surgical
specimens. Some of the neoplasms that are currently
being investigated include adenoid cystic carcinoma,
acinic cell carcinoma, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. |
