Meet Dr. Singh
Gagandeep “Gaugs” Singh, MD, FACS, joined City of Hope® Cancer Center Phoenix in May 2024 as its Chief of Surgical Oncology and Director of Surgical Services, bringing more than two decades’ experience as an internationally renowned pancreatic and liver cancer surgeon and a health care leader. He is also the head of the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Neuroendocrine Tumor programs.
Dr. Singh takes a dynamic and compassionate approach to working with patients. His expertise includes treating tumors of the pancreas, liver, neuroendocrine and gastrointestinal systems, including a focus on complex robotic techniques and resections with vascular reconstruction. His goal is to make every patient’s experience as effective and comfortable as possible through a personalized approach to care that incorporates leading-edge treatments. He’s spearheaded multiple innovative projects that have led to the development of new open and minimally invasive robotic surgical techniques for complex and advanced-stage cancers.
“I enjoy challenging myself to use my expertise in resecting complex liver metastases/cancers and pancreatic cancers involving vascular reconstructions providing state-of-the-art options for patients who are often deemed inoperable,”
His academic career began at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. From there, Dr. Singh was appointed as director of the John Wayne Cancer Institute’s Liver and Pancreas Center in Santa Monica, California, where he served as chair of the Cancer Committee and vice president for fellowship education. In 2010, City of Hope Duarte asked Dr. Singh to spearhead its liver and pancreatic cancer program. During this time, he was named the chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology, a role that led the program to national recognition.
Dr. Singh earned his medical degree at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in India, after which he completed multiple fellowships and residencies at some of the world’s top cancer centers and hospitals in India, the United Kingdom, France and the United States. He is a board-certified surgeon whose expertise keeps him in demand at conferences and association meetings around the country, and he has been included on multiple lists of “America’s Top Surgeons,” “Best Doctors of America” and “Super Doctors.”
Dr. Singh is a translational clinician-scientist, collaborating with bench scientists. His research has led to a number of peer-reviewed papers and patents for new medical technologies and techniques. He has published on a wide range of topics, such as complex liver resection for metastases, robotic surgical techniques and vascular reconstruction after pancreatic surgery and early-detection blood tests for pancreatic and colorectal cancers.
In his free time, Dr. Singh enjoys spending time with his family, hiking and creating artworks that incorporate computer chips. In addition to English, he is fluent in French, Hindi, Punjabi and Marathi.
Location
City of Hope Phoenix
14200 West Celebrate Life Way
Goodyear, AZ 85338
Specialties
Surgical Oncology
Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery
Neuroendocrine Tumors
Education
Medical School: Medical School Graduation (MBBS), Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur University, India
Residencies: General Surgery Residency in the U.S. - Chief Resident: Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, and Resident in Surgery: Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
Surgical Residency/ PG Training outside U.S. - Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK and Tata Memorial Hospital & Cancer Center, University of Bombay, India
Fellowships:Clinical Fellow (Transplant) - University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, IA
Belfer Fellow (Research) - Marion Bessin Liver Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY
Fellow (HPB/ Surg Onc) - Hôpital Cochin, René Descartes University, Paris, France
Clinical Fellow (Surgical Oncology) - Tata Memorial Hospital & Cancer Center, University of Bombay, Bombay, India
Research Fellow (Surgical Oncology) - Tata Memorial Hospital & Cancer Center, University of Bombay, Bombay, India
Certifications
Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery - Board Certification in General Surgery, U.S.
American Society of Transplant Surgery - Solid Organ Transplant Surgery Certification
Watch the videos below of four surgical procedures that Dr. Singh commonly performs.
Whipple procedure
When patients have cancer in the head of the pancreas, one potential treatment option may be the Whipple procedure. During this surgery, also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy, the surgeon removes the head and possibly other parts of the pancreas, as well as the gallbladder, lymph nodes, part or all of the small intestine and part of the bile duct.
Watch this two-minute video to learn more about the Whipple procedure.
Distal pancreatectomy
A distal pancreatectomy may be recommended for some patients with pancreatic cancer. During this procedure, the surgeon removes the tail of the pancreas. In some cases, the surgeon may also take out part of the pancreas body and the spleen.
Watch this two-minute video to learn more about distal pancreatectomies.
Total pancreatectomy
A total pancreatectomy may be part of the treatment plan for select patients with pancreatic cancer. During this operation, the surgeon removes the entire pancreas, the bile duct, some of the stomach and small intestine, the spleen, the gallbladder and some lymph nodes.
Watch this two-minute video to learn more about total pancreatectomies.
Liver resection
A liver resection may be a treatment option for some patients with liver cancer or other liver conditions. During this surgery, the doctor removes part of the liver where cancer is present. The liver can regenerate following surgery.
Watch this one-minute video to learn more about liver resection surgery.
Carcinoid Cancer Foundation interview with Dr. Singh
In this video, expert Dr. Gagandeep Singh answers questions from the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation about neuroendocrine tumors.
Watch this one-hour video to learn more about neuroendocrine tumors.
Evolving management of liver metastases with Dr. Singh
This LACNETS Webinar from 10/18/24 serves as an invaluable resource for those living with NET, as well as their families and caretakers, the presentation also includes an informative "Question & Answer" Session at the end.
How to manage metastatic liver tumors
In this video, Dr. Singh explains how to manage metastatic liver tumors for patients who have recently been diagnosed with liver metastases and how to treat these liver tumors with a combination of surgery and a hepatic artery infusion (HAI) pump.
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