About Barbara Smith, MD, PhD
Barbara L. Smith, MD, PhD. is the Director of the Breast Program and Co-Director of the Women's Cancers Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and at the MGH. Dr. Smith received her undergraduate training at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MD. from Harvard Medical School's Harvard/MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology and a PhD from Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Smith's research activities have focused on reducing the extent of surgery and radiation required to treat breast cancer, diagnosis and treatment issues in young women with breast cancer, and three dimensional breast anatomy as it relates to breast surgery and pathologic analysis of specimens. She has been a Visiting Professor at Sun Yat-sen University in China since 2006 where she has assisted in development of multidisciplinary breast cancer programs and clinical research activities.
Dr. Smith was named one of Boston Magazine's Top Docs for 2013 for Breast Cancer.
Departments, Centers, & Programs:
Clinical Interests:
- Breast cancer treatment
- High-risk patients
- Innovations in breast surgical techniques
- Nipple sparing mastectomy
Treats:
- Adult
Locations
Mass General Surgery: Surgical Oncology
55 Fruit St.
Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care
7th Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-724-4000
Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham
52 Second Ave.
Suite 1110
Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: 781-487-6100
Medical Education
- MD, Harvard Medical School
- Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital
American Board Certifications
- Surgery, General, American Board of Surgery
Accepted Insurance Plans
- Aetna
- Beech Street
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare
- Cigna
- Commonwealth Care Alliance
- Coventry
- Fallon Health
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Humana
- Maine Community Health Options
- Mass General Brigham Health Plan
- MassHealth
- Medicaid ME
- Medicaid NH
- Medicaid RI
- Medicare
- Medicare ACO
- Multiplan
- Railroad Medicare
- Senior Whole Health
- TriCare
- Tufts Health Plan
- United Health Care
- Wellpoint
- WellSense
- WellSense NH
Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.
Research
Nipple sparing mastectomy
Margin assessment
High risk patients
Publications
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Select Publications:
- Learn more about Barbara Smith, MD, and how a nipple-sparing mastectomy can reduce breast cancer recurrence.
- Nipple-sparing mastectomy. Rusby JE, Smith BL, Gui GP. Br J Surg 2010 Mar;97(3);305-16.
- An inferolateral approach to nipple-sparing mastectomy: optimizing mastectomy and reconstruction. Colwell AS, Gadd M, Smith BL, Austen WG Jr. Ann Plast Surg. 2010 Aug;65(2):140-3.
- Occult nipple involvement in breast cancer: clinicopathologic findings in 316 consecutive mastectomy specimens. Brachte EF, Rusby Je, Michaelson JS, Chen LL, Muzikansky A, Smith BL, Koerner FC. J Clin Oncol 2009 Oct 20;27(30):4930-2
- Development and validation of a model predictive of occult nipple involvement in women undergoing mastectomy. Rusby JE, Bracte EF, Othus M, Michaelson JS, Koerner FC, Smith, BL Br J Surg: 2008 Nov;95(11):1356-61
Excellent care
Dr Smith is beautiful, brilliant, compassionate and has an Aplus team.
Dr.Smith was very caring and responded to all my concern and questions patiently and respectfully! She clearly explained the process and procedures clearly.
I thought Dr. Barbara Smith was very compassionate. She was very smart, treated me with respect, and gave me, made me feel so much better about my prognosis. And she was very knowledgeable on everything that I asked. Thank you.
Wonderful
From the moment Dr Smith walked into the room I knew I was in good hands. She explained everything thoroughly, patiently addressed my concerns, questions and always looked right at me when she spoke. Despite the demands of her schedule at no time did I feel rushed. I am extremely fortunate that not only was she able to see me but to have gotten an ... Read More
Very professional and caring
I'm very happy with Mass General Services and especially my surgeon, Barbara Smith, and all the staff that works with her.
I was very happy that the provider was able to see me in such a timely manner. The provider made me feel at ease and explained everything in detail. The office staff was wonderful and very efficient.
Dr Smith is the BEST in the world and I am SO grateful to be in her expert care!