Paul T. Finger, MD, FACS, is an

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, specializing in

ocular oncology Eye neoplasms can affect all parts of the eye, and can be a benign tumor or a malignant tumor (cancer). Eye cancers can be primary (starts within the eye) or metastatic cancer (spread to the eye from another organ). The two most common cancers tha ...

(ocular tumors, orbital disease and ophthalmic radiation therapy). Finger is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City, New York. He is also the director of The New York Eye Cancer Center and Ocular Tumor Services at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mt. Sinai. He consults for Northwell Health Complex of affiliated Hospitals including Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital and NYU School of Medicine. He is Chair of the Ophthalmic Oncology Task Force for the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), wrote the eye cancer staging systems section for the Union International for Cancer Control (UICC). As Chair, he brought together an OOTF to develop consensus eye plaque radiation guidelines for The American Brachytherapy Society - American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Dr. Finger was the first the only ophthalmologist asked to serve on the 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine’s Task Group-129 that produced both dosimetry and quality assurance standards for plaque brachytherapy. As of 2021, Dr. Finger has authored over 335 peer-review scientific articles, 2 books, 54 book chapters and 2 web sites (https://eyecancer.com and https://eyecancercure.com). Dr.Finger earned his BS and MD from Tulane University, his internship at NYC's St. Vincent’s Medical Center, ophthalmology residency at The Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, and a fellowship in ocular tumor, orbital disease and ophthalmic radiation therapy with Samuel Packer, MD (inventor of iodine-125 plaque brachytherapy). Dr. Finger is a life Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Chair of the American Joint Committee on Cancer, member of the Commission on Cancer, Retina Society, American Society of Retinal Specialists, International Council of Ophthalmology, Union for International Cancer Control, International Society of Ophthalmic Oncology and the American Society for Radiation Oncology. Dr. Finger is Founder and Chairman of The Eye Cancer Foundation, whose purpose is to develop and encourage international, multi-center research on new diagnostic treatments; to provide much-needed support services for patients and their families; and to save lives through an international fellowship program by training doctors in underserved and unserved countries.(http://eyecancercure.com) The foundation has provided fellowship education support to enable over 50 eye cancer specialists to return and practice in their unserved or underserved countries. Consultant or Advisory Board: Finger is the president and chief executive officer of LV Liberty Vision Corporation (http://libertyvision.com).

Education

Finger received his medical doctorate from

Tulane Medical School The Tulane University School of Medicine is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States and is a part of Tulane University. The school is located in the Medical District of the New Orleans Central Business District. History The school was ...

in 1982. He completed his residency at

Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital (MEETH) is a specialty hospital in New York City that was founded in 1869 and is currently located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 210 East 64th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues). After 131 years a ...

, and his fellowship in ocular tumor, orbital disease and ophthalmic radiation therapy with Samuel Packer MD at

North Shore Hospital North Shore Hospital is a large public hospital in Takapuna, New Zealand, serving the northern part of Auckland. Located on Shakespeare Road near Lake Pupuke, it is administered by the Waitemata District Health Board, which provides health servi ...

- Cornell University Medical College in Manhasset, New York. In 1995, Dr. Finger establishe
The New York Eye Cancer Center
on the upper east side of New York City, US, where he sees private patients.

Career

Finger is certified by the

American Board of Ophthalmology The American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) is an independent, non-profit organization responsible for certifying ophthalmologists (eye physicians and surgeons) in the United States of America. Founded in 1916, the ABO was the first American Boar ...

and is a Fellow of both the

American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913.American College of Surgeons Online "What is the American College of Surgeons?"/ref> See also *American College of Physicians The American College o ...

and the

American Academy of Ophthalmology The American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) is a professional medical association of ophthalmologists. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Its membership of 32,000 medical doctors includes more than 90 percent of practicing ...

. He was asked to chair the Ophthalmic Oncology Task Force for the American Joint Committee on Cancer for the 7th and 8th editions. Finger was asked to write the chapters on eye cancer staging for th
UICC
He was also asked to write the Intraocular Melanoma Chapter for the widely used medical textbook
Cancer
edited by DeVita, Hellman and Rosenberg. His research has focused on

melanoma Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...

of the

choroid The choroid, also known as the choroidea or choroid coat, is a part of the uvea, the vascular layer of the eye, and contains connective tissues, and lies between the retina and the sclera. The human choroid is thickest at the far extreme rear ...

ciliary body The ciliary body is a part of the eye that includes the ciliary muscle, which controls the shape of the lens, and the ciliary epithelium, which produces the aqueous humor. The aqueous humor is produced in the non-pigmented portion of the ciliar ...

and

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants *Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional enti ...

. He has written extensively about new ways to detect and treat

retinoblastoma Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a rare form of cancer that rapidly develops from the immature cells of a retina, the light-detecting tissue of the eye. It is the most common primary malignant intraocular cancer in children, and it is almost exclusively fo ...

conjunctiva The conjunctiva is a thin mucous membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the sclera (the white of the eye). It is composed of non-keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium with goblet cells, stratified columnar epithelium ...

squamous carcinoma Squamous-cell carcinomas (SCCs), also known as epidermoid carcinomas, comprise a number of different types of cancer that begin in squamous cells. These cells form on the surface of the skin, on the lining of hollow organs in the body, and on the ...

metastatic cancer Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, then, ...

to the eye and orbital tumors. He has helped produce multiple medical textbooks and chapters on

eye cancer Eye neoplasms can affect all parts of the eye, and can be a benign tumor or a malignant tumor (cancer). Eye cancers can be primary (starts within the eye) or metastatic cancer (spread to the eye from another organ). The two most common cancers th ...

Prevention campaign

Under the slogan, "Think of sunglasses as sunblock for your eyes", Finger has campaigned on television to increase the use of sunglasses in order to prevent eye cancers before they happen.

References

External links

eyecancer.com, eye cancer informationDr. Finger's private practice website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finger, Paul American ophthalmologists Living people Physicians from New York City American inventors 1955 births Tulane University School of Medicine alumni New York University Grossman School of Medicine faculty