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David S. Kwon, MD

David S. Kwon, MD, FACS, FSSO

Board-Certified Surgeon | Fellowship-Trained Surgical Oncologist | Clinical Director, Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center

Overview

Dr. David S. Kwon, MD, FACS, FSSO is a board-certified general surgeon and fellowship-trained surgical oncologist at Henry Ford Health. He serves as Physician in Charge of the Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion and Clinical Director of the Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, leading multidisciplinary teams focused on precision medicine and complex cancer care (Henry Ford Health).

Leadership & Roles

  • Physician in Charge – Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion, overseeing multidisciplinary oncology programs and precision-based patient care (CBS Detroit).
  • Clinical Director – Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, driving innovation in early detection and treatment (PR Newswire).
  • Former Medical Director – Center for Cancer Surgery, Henry Ford Health (Crain’s Detroit).
  • Faculty Member – Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Education & Training

  • B.S., Biological Sciences – Columbia University
  • M.D. – University of California, San Diego
  • Residency – General Surgery, Henry Ford Hospital (multiple research & clinical awards)
  • Fellowship – Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Clinical Expertise

  • Pancreatic, gastric, and rare cancers
  • Complex foregut and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery
  • HIPEC and cytoreductive surgery for peritoneal surface malignancies
  • Precision medicine and multidisciplinary cancer management

Research & Innovation

Dr. Kwon’s research focuses on pancreatic cancer detection, disparities, and advanced local therapies. His team contributes to pioneering work in molecular and spatial phenotyping, immune checkpoint targets such as TIGIT, and artificial intelligence for imaging-based cancer detection (PubMed).

  • Borderline/Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Margin accentuation with intraoperative irreversible electroporation (Surgery, 2014).
  • Neoadjuvant vs. Adjuvant Therapy Studies: Comparative outcomes in resectable PDAC (Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys, 2018).
  • Single-Cell & Spatial Phenotyping: Racial disparity studies in PDAC (AACR Abstracts, 2024).
  • AI-Driven Cancer Detection: Co-author on deep learning for pancreatic tumor diagnosis (npj Digital Medicine, 2024).

Patient Education & Community Engagement

Dr. Kwon regularly contributes to Henry Ford Health’s educational resources and public outreach. He’s been featured in patient programs and community events like “Life After Whipple,” offering insight into surgical recovery and survivorship (Henry Ford Health Blog).

Honors, Memberships & Service

  • Fellow, American College of Surgeons (FACS)
  • Fellow, Society of Surgical Oncology (FSSO)
  • Active in national surgical oncology mentorship and leadership initiatives
  • Featured in Crain’s Detroit People on the Move for leadership in cancer surgery and multidisciplinary care

Career Timeline

  • Columbia University – B.S., Biological Sciences
  • UC San Diego – M.D.
  • Henry Ford Hospital – General Surgery Residency
  • MD Anderson Cancer Center – Surgical Oncology Fellowship
  • 2011: Returns to Henry Ford Health as Surgical Oncologist
  • 2015: Appointed Division Head, Surgical Oncology
  • 2016: Named Medical Director, Center for Cancer Surgery
  • 2020: Named Clinical Director, Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center
  • 2021–Present: Physician in Charge, Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion

Conditions & Programs

  • Pancreatic and gastric cancers
  • Rare and peritoneal malignancies (including mesothelioma)
  • HIPEC and cytoreductive surgery
  • Precision-medicine and multidisciplinary clinic coordination

Sources

  • Henry Ford Health – Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion & HIPEC Program
  • CBS Detroit – Pavilion Grand Opening
  • PR Newswire – HFPCC Philanthropy Announcements
  • Crain’s Detroit – Leadership Recognition
  • PubMed, AACR, npj Digital Medicine – Research Publications