Chafeek Tomeh, MD

I believe that a close relationship with your surgeon is crucial when pursuing treatment for head and neck cancers - even when non-surgical therapies are sought. I recognize and value the role of expert, multidisciplinary care in the treatment of the patients that I evaluate. I have dedicated my professional career to the development of advanced skills in resection of cutaneous, mucosal, endocrine, salivary, and airway cancers within the head and neck as well as local and free-tissue reconstructive methods required to provide my patients with optimal functional and oncologic outcomes. The ability to provide high-level care alongside compassion and understanding is the foundation of my passion for head and neck surgery.

Your head and neck are home to not only the brain and parts of the spinal cord, but a bona fide command center where breathing and digestion are initiated; where thoughts and emotions are conveyed through expressions, words, speech, even singing. It’s the region of the body largely responsible for how you survive, interact, and find emotional, social, and spiritual fulfillment. This is why it’s important that you trust your head and neck cancer to a team who can give you everything you need, and anticipate those needs in real time. Our robust team includes: - Expert ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeons who can remove tumors and repair their damage - Radiation oncologists who can shrink stubborn lesions next to vital or fragile structures - Medical oncologists who deliver medicines that can stop cancer cells from dividing Our multidisciplinary team of physicians ensures you can get specialized, comprehensive care without having to leave our campus in the heart of Phoenix. We also have speech-language pathologists on staff who will work to help you retain your ability to eat, drink, and speak. In addition to our experienced team of head and neck oncology experts, you will have access to a top, globally-ranked center for neurology and neurosurgery, along with the complete medical specialties at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. We know that the prospect of fighting head and neck cancer can be frightening, but it’s not one you have to face alone. Call (855) 327-2083 to speak with our nurse navigator, and find an ally in your fight

Griffin Santarelli, MD, is an otolaryngologist at Barrow Neurological Institute. He is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Santarelli’s expertise includes complex sinus disease, sinonasal tumors, skull base approaches and reconstruction, and complex treatment of head and neck cancer. He is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Santarelli earned his medical degree from the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences in Ohio. He completed his residency in otolaryngology at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk and a fellowship in neurorhinology and open and endoscopic skull base surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Santarelli’s research interests include reconstruction of skull base defects, endoscopic approaches to the skull base, and biomarker assays for sinonasal pathology.