Neil J. Finkler, MD

Co-Director, Florida Hospital Gynecologic Oncology

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Finkler was the founder of the Gynecologic Oncology Program at the Florida Hospital Cancer Institute in 1992, now called Florida Hospital Gynecologic Oncology. He is heavily involved in the GYN Oncology Group’s clinical trials, a National Cancer Institute cooperative group. In this capacity, he serves as the principal investigator for the group, which helps bring new innovations in healthcare to patients at Florida Hospital. Dr. Finkler’s efforts in this area have helped the hospital maintain its leadership in research and clinical trials.

In 2006, Dr. Finkler received training and certification in the revolutionary da Vinci® robotic system for surgery.

His role as the Director of the Fellowship Program at Florida Hospital Gynecologic Oncology provides leadership and training for tomorrow’s surgeons.

Dr. Finkler is actively involved with the Florida State University and the University of Central Florida Colleges of Medicine. In working with the UCF College of Medicine, he serves on the admissions committee, conducts faculty interviews, serves as the FIRE (Focused Individualized Research Experience) Mentor as well as Professor of OB/GYN.

Professional Highlights

• Director, Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Training Program, Florida Hospital Cancer Institute
• Director, Residency Training Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Michigan State residents, Orlando Regional Medical Center residents
• Director of Gynecologic Oncology Program, Florida Hospital Cancer Institute
• Director of Gynecologic Oncology, Boston University School of Medicine, University Hospital and Boston City Hospital, Massachusetts
• Assistant Professor, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts

Education & Fellowships

Fellowship: Gynecologic Oncology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts

Residency: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts

Medical School: The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York

Undergraduate: Colgate University, New York

Accreditation

American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Certifications

Certificate of Off-Site Training as a Console Surgeon; da Vinci® Surgical System. 

Specialties

• Hysterectomy, abdominal total                                               
• Ovarian Cancer (ovarian neoplasm)/Fallopian Tube
• Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• Vulvar Cancer
• Benign with complex pathology

Professional Memberships

• American Association of Clinical Oncology
• Society of Gynecologic Oncology
• FLASCO
• ACOG

Research & Publications

Dr. Finkler has been the author, co-author and presenter of nearly 70 works, including original reports, publications, reviews, abstracts and presentations. Following are just a few of his many contributions:

Pikaart, DP; Holloway RW; Ahmad S; Finkler NJ; Bigsby IV GE; Ortiz BH; DeNardis SA (2007) Clinical-Pathologic and Morbidity Analyses of Types 2 and 3 Abdominal Radical Hysterectomy for Cervical Cancer. Gynecol. Oncol. 107, 205-210.

Griffiths CT, Parker LM, Lee S, Finkler NJ:   The effect of residual mass size on response to chemotherapy after surgical cytoreduction for advanced ovarian cancer; long-term results.  Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2002 Jul-Aug; 12(4):323-31.

Berek JS, Taylor PT, Gordon A, Cunningham MJ, Finkler NJ, Orr J Jr, Rivkin S, Schultes BC, Whiteside TL, Nicodemus, CF: Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of Oregovomab for Consolidation of Clinical Remission in Patients with Advanced Ovarian Cancer.  J Clin Oncol.2004 Sep 1; 22 (17):3507-16.

Pikaart, DP; Holloway RW; Ahmad S; Finkler NJ; Bigsby IV GE; Ortiz BH; DeNardis SA (2007) Clinical-Pathologic and Morbidity Analyses of Types 2 and 3 Abdominal Radical Hysterectomy for Cervical Cancer. Gynecol. Oncol. 107, 205-210.

Vergote I, Finkler N, del Campo J, Hunter J, Matei D, Kavanagh J, Vermorken JB, Meng L, Jones M, Brown G, Kaye S, The Assist-1 Study Group. Phase 3 randomized study of canfosfamide (Telcyta^®, TLK286) versus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin or topotecan as third-line therapy in patients with platinum-refractory or –resistant ovarian cancer. Eur. J. Cancer 2009; 45:2324-2332.

DeNardis SA, Holloway RW, Bigsby IV GE, Pikaart DP, Ahmad S, Finkler NJ. Robotically assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy versus total abdominal hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy for endometrial cancer. Gynecol. Oncol. 2008; 111: 412-417.