MUSC Health Surgical Oncology at Hollings Cancer Center

As a surgical oncologist specializing in hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery, I treat complex diseases of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract. I see patients for HPB-based cancers and benign conditions, as well as select gastrointestinal and retroperitoneal tumors. Utilizing robotic, laparoscopic, and open techniques, I tailor treatments to each individual patient. A cancer diagnosis can be life-changing, and even benign disorders of these organ systems can be challenging to treat. I prioritize clear communication and work closely with my team to ensure that each patient and their family understand the diagnosis and treatment options. My goal is to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art care that optimizes safety, recovery, and long-term outcomes. After earning my medical degree at Tulane University, I completed my general surgery residency and postdoctoral research fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. My passion for helping people with pancreas and liver cancer led me to dual fellowship training in Complex General Surgical Oncology and HPB surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the highest volume robotic pancreas program in the U.S. My training included advanced techniques in robotic HPB surgery, hepatic artery infusion pump placement, and other liver-directed therapies, and I was named Administrative Chief Fellow of the surgical oncology program. In addition to my clinical work, I am committed to surgical education and mentorship, along with research focused on improving outcomes for patients with advanced pancreas and liver cancers. I am a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and Gold Humanism Honor Society, and I received the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Class of 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award. I have contributed to national consensus guidelines, authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, and serve on the editorial board of BMC Surgery.

Dr. Alisa Blumenthaler is a breast surgical oncologist and is certified by the American Board of Surgery. Her clinical interests focus on providing up-to-date, comprehensive and multi-disciplinary care for patients with breast cancer as well as high-risk and benign breast conditions. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Blumenthaler is dedicated to providing compassionate care, specific to each individual patient. She works closely with MUSC's multidisciplinary breast cancer team to incorporate the latest advancements in breast cancer treatment with the goal of achieving the best cancer-related outcomes while minimizing patient side effects. She is passionate about making sure patients feel well-informed about their condition and their treatment options, in order to make a joint decision about their care. When performing a surgery to remove cancer, or another lesion in the breast, Dr. Blumenthaler also focuses on maintaining the breast's natural appearance as much as possible, including hidden-scar techniques, local breast tissue rearrangement, and performing nipple-sparing mastectomies in collaboration with MUSC's reconstructive surgeons. Dr. Blumenthaler obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame, graduating with honors, prior to earning her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She completed her residency training in general surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine, during which she dedicated additional time to a clinical research fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Blumenthaler completed specialized training in breast surgical oncology, including breast surgery and breast cancer management, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Blumenthaler is a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology. Her research interests include improving patient-physician communication and patient decision-making in breast cancer care.

Dr. Abirami Sivapiragasam (Abi Siva) is an Associate Professor of Medicine and a board-certified medical oncologist at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, with more than a decade of clinical and academic experience. She specializes in the care of patients with breast cancer and serves as the Director of Medical Oncology. In this role, she focuses on strengthening clinical programs, expanding access to innovative therapies, and building collaborative models of care that improve outcomes across South Carolina and beyond. Dr. Sivapiragasam is equally committed to education and mentorship. As Program Director of the Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program, she is dedicated to training the next generation of oncologists. She has developed structured mentorship and research initiatives designed to support fellows in building strong clinical skills, pursuing meaningful scholarship, and growing into thoughtful, patient-centered leaders in oncology. A passionate clinician-scientist, Dr. Sivapiragasam serves as principal investigator on multiple clinical trials and leads the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Group at MUSC. Her research focuses on designing pragmatic clinical trials that can be seamlessly integrated into everyday practice. She is particularly interested in right-sizing therapy through de-escalation strategies that reduce toxicity while maintaining efficacy, as well as biomarker-driven approaches that personalize treatment decisions. She collaborates closely with translational scientists to advance innovative therapeutic concepts from bench to bedside, with the goal of accelerating access to cutting-edge treatments for patients. Through her clinical leadership, research efforts, and dedication to education, Dr. Sivapiragasam remains deeply committed to improving breast cancer care and advancing the field of oncology.

Bernice Huang, M.D. is an endocrine surgeon who collaborates closely with the Hollings Cancer Center, bringing innovative techniques and procedures to endocrine patients in South Carolina. Dr. Huang completed her endocrine surgery fellowship at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and general surgery residency at Columbia University, where she also dedicated a year to clinical research in endocrine surgery. Dr. Huang has expertise in the posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach for adrenal surgery that accesses the adrenal gland through the back, simplifying the laparoscopic procedure and minimizing postoperative pain. She also has clinical and research interests in the care and surgical management of patients with renal hyperparathyroidism, thyroid surgery, parathyroid surgery, adrenal surgery, thyroid cancer, hyperparathyroidism, and familial endocrine tumor syndromes. She focuses her research on improving clinical outcomes and addressing disparities in care for these patients. Dr. Huang received her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2015 and a bachelor of science degree in biological engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Barry Gibney is an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at MUSC. He completed his general surgery training at Penn State Hershey, and his thoracic surgery training at Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Gibney takes care of patients with lung and esophageal cancer, mesothelioma, mediastinal and chest wall tumors, and benign esophageal diseases such as reflux, achalasia, and paraesophageal hernias. Additionally, he cares for end-stage lung disease in a multidisciplinary lung transplant team. He has special interests in esophageal cancer and minimally invasive thoracic surgery. His published research can be found on the National Institutes of Health PubMed website.

Dayton Barton, PA-C, is a board-certified Physician Assistant specializing in surgical oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. He provides comprehensive care to patients with thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, hepatopancreatobiliary, and other complex surgical conditions, guiding them through evaluation, diagnosis, treatment planning, perioperative management, and postoperative recovery with a patient-centered approach. Before joining MUSC, Mr. Barton served for seven years in Emergency Medical Services in Charleston County, where he developed extensive experience in prehospital emergency medicine and critical patient care. He also serves as a Physician Assistant and officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard, providing medical readiness support, acute injury evaluation, and operational medical care for service members. His military service has reinforced his commitment to leadership, teamwork, and delivering high-quality care in demanding environments. Mr. Barton earned his Master of Physician Assistant Studies through the Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) in 2025. He is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and is licensed to practice in South Carolina. His clinical interests include surgical oncology, perioperative medicine, endocrine surgery, hepatopancreatobiliary surgery, and multidisciplinary collaboration to optimize patient outcomes. Outside of clinical practice, Mr. Barton enjoys mentoring future medical providers, promoting patient education, and advancing military medicine. He is committed to lifelong learning and providing compassionate, evidence-based care to every patient he serves.

Macy Drew is a board-certified physician assistant in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina. Her practice is mainly focused on gastrointestinal malignancies, such as pancreatic, stomach, liver, and other GI cancers. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, and subsequently completed her PA training at MUSC. Macy is dedicated to providing compassionate, personalized care and is honored to walk alongside her patients throughout their cancer treatment.

Nora Heck, MSN, FNP-BC, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Surgical Oncology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Pace University, where she began her healthcare career in New York City. Nora is dedicated to providing patient-centered care and is passionate about delivering the highest level of treatment to her patients. She is committed to evidence-based practice and works closely with multidisciplinary teams to support patients through every stage of their cancer care.

Dr. Denise Carneiro-Pla is a board-certified general surgeon who is focused in endocrine surgery. She was educated in Brazil including medical school and residency in general surgery. In 1998, shortly after her residency, she was invited to the United States to be a researcher in endocrine surgery which started her interest and commitment to this specialty. The research fellowship at the University of Miami School of Medicine lasted for a period of three-and-a-half years and then extended to another year and a half as a clinical fellow of endocrine surgery under Dr. George Irvin's mentorship. Following these five years of specialized endocrine surgery training in this center of excellence, Dr. Carneiro-Pla was ready to start her career as an academic surgeon in the U.S. and she repeated the residency in general surgery at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Dr. Carneiro-Pla has been a faculty of the Department of Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina since 2007, with a practice exclusively dedicated to endocrine surgery treating thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgical diseases. She remains academically productive writing papers and book chapters in endocrine surgery, mainly in parathyroid disease and cervical ultrasonography, which are her special interests. Dr. Carneiro-Pla currently sees patients in downtown Charleston at Hollings Cancer Center and at North Charleston Specialty Care, where ultrasonography is available as part of cervical physical examination and to guide necessary procedures. The indicated surgeries are performed at our state-of-the-art hospital, Ashley River Tower.

Joy Zhou Done, M.D., is an endocrine surgeon who treats problems of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands. She sees patients at Hollings Cancer Center, where she works alongside endocrinologists and cancer specialists to care for patients with thyroid cancer, thyroid nodules, overactive thyroid, hyperparathyroidism (a common cause of high calcium), and adrenal tumors. Her clinical interests include molecular testing in thyroid cancer, outcomes after parathyroid surgery, and non-surgical, minimally invasive treatments for thyroid nodules. Dr. Done believes patients make better decisions when they understand what is happening to them. She takes time to explain what a test result means, what the options are, and what life looks like after treatment, so that patients and their families feel informed rather than rushed. Dr. Done completed her general surgery residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and her fellowship training in endocrine surgery at NYU Langone. She received her medical degree from Brown University and her bachelor's degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University. She is an active member of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and the American Thyroid Association.

Dr. Katharine E. Caldwell is a specialist in liver, pancreatic, and bile duct surgery. She focuses on providing compassionate, cutting-edge care to patients facing complex cancers and benign conditions of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and bile ducts. An expert in advanced and minimally invasive approaches, Dr. Caldwell utilizes open and robotic surgical techniques to offer patients highly precise, advanced options for intricate procedures, including major pancreatic, liver, gastric, bile duct, and gallbladder surgeries. Dr. Caldwell earned her medical degree from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. She then completed her general surgery residency at Washington University in St. Louis. To further specialize in the most challenging abdominal conditions, she completed a fellowship in Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic and Gastrointestinal Surgery at Washington University. Dedicated to bringing the latest scientific advancements directly to her patients, she also earned a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in surgical oncology. Beyond the operating room, Dr. Caldwell is a nationally recognized leader in research and surgical education. Her research focuses on the development of new treatments for hard-to-treat pancreas and bile duct cancers. She has served on major national committees, including the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Hepatobiliary Association (AHPBA), working to elevate training standards for the next generation of surgeons. Her exceptional dedication to teaching, research, and clinical excellence has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Jameson L. Chassin MD, FACS Award for Professionalism in General Surgery from the American College of Surgeons.