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Daniel Boffa, MD

Professor of Surgery (Thoracic)
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Additional Titles

Division Chief, Thoracic Surgery

Clinical Director, Center for Thoracic Cancers

Contact Info

Thoracic Surgery

330 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208062

New Haven, CT 06520-8062

United States

About

Titles

Professor of Surgery (Thoracic)

Division Chief, Thoracic Surgery; Clinical Director, Center for Thoracic Cancers

Biography

Daniel J. Boffa, MD, is a Professor of Thoracic Surgery at Yale School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine with honors and his MBA from the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis and is a Board Certified Thoracic Surgeon. He has received numerous awards and recognitions for clinical skills, research and education, including the Dr. Charles H. Bryan Clinical Excellence Award from the Cleveland Clinic, the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Research Award and the CALGB young investigator award, and the Edward H. Storer education award from Yale and the Hassan A. Naama Award education award from Cornell. His work has been published in top Journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, the JAMA Network and Nature, as well as mainstream media including the New York Times and the LA Times. He has been interviewed by numerous news outlets including Nature Medicine, Bloomberg News, NBC and National Geographic.

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Dr. Boffa specializes in esophageal and lung cancer, achalasia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernia, esophageal diverticulum, and hyperhidrosis. As a highly skilled surgeon, Dr. Boffa performs the majority of his surgeries with minimally invasive procedures. Committed to increasing the survival rate of cancer patients. Dr. Boffa has focused his clinical research on identifying the most effective way of treating cancer patients, particularly those with stage IV cancer, as well as quality of care across different hospital networks. He is the chair of the Quality Assurance and Data committee for the Commission on Cancer, which is one of the largest cancer organizations in the world.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

MBA
Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis (2021)
Fellow
Cleveland Clinic (2007)
Administrative Chief Resident
Cleveland Clinic (2007)
Resident
New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center (2004)
MD
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine (1997)

Research

Overview

Daniel J. Boffa, MD, is an Associate Professor of Thoracic Surgery at Yale School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and is a Board Certified Surgeon and a Board Certified Thoracic Surgeon. His international work includes traveling to Leuven, Belgium, for a presentation for the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the ASN/ISN World Congress of Nephrology. He has written many papers and publications in his field and has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Dr. Charles H. Bryan Clinical Excellence Award, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Research Award, and the American Association of Thoracic Surgery Resident Traveling Fellowship.

View Selected Publications on PubMed

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Medical Oncology

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Daniel Boffa's published research.

Publications

2024

Clinical Trials

Current Trials

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • honor

    Top Cancer Paper for 2020 (one of three selected)

  • honor

    Connecticut Magazine Top Docs 2016

  • honor

    Dr. Charles H. Bryan Clinical Excellence Award

  • honor

    Thoracic and Cardiovascular Research Award

  • honor

    American Association of Thoracic Surgery Resident Traveling Fellowship

Clinical Care

Overview

Daniel J. Boffa, MD, is director of clinical affairs for Yale Medicine’s thoracic surgery program. As a thoracic surgeon, he primarily treats people for esophageal and lung cancers, but he also sees patients who may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), difficulty swallowing (achalasia) or stomach hernias.

Dr. Boffa places his patient’s needs first. When he discusses options with patients, he first listens carefully to understand their concerns—and makes treatment recommendations based on their quality-of-life preferences. “In an era of personalized medicine, the goals of your care are as important as your DNA,” Dr. Boffa says.

Then he talks to them very frankly about their prospects. “I tell every patient that I’m from the Midwest and we tell it like it is,” he says. “In my experience, when people hear the truth, it’s actually more comforting because they know what they are up against.”

Dr. Boffa says that the high rate of success in Yale Medicine’s thoracic surgery program can be attributed to team members’ deep expertise and desire to give patients the best coordinated care. Yale Medicine’s thoracic oncology program consistently ranks at the top of listings compiled by the Society for Thoracic Surgeons, Dr. Boffa says.

As an associate professor of surgery, Dr. Boffa conducts research into innovative approaches to care. “The more you understand about the patient and their disease,” he says, “the more likely you are to end up with the results the patient is happy with.”

Clinical Specialties

Thoracic Surgery

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Thoracic Surgery

    Certification Organization
    AB of Thoracic Surgery
    Latest Certification Date
    2016
    Original Certification Date
    2008

Yale Medicine News

Get In Touch

Contacts

Appointment Number
Clinic Fax Number
Mailing Address

Thoracic Surgery

330 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208062

New Haven, CT 06520-8062

United States

Administrative Support

Locations

  • Patient Care Locations

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