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NYU Langone Provider

Deborah M. Axelrod, MD

NYU Langone Provider
  • Specialties: Breast Cancer Surgery, Surgical Oncology
  • Treats: Adults
  • Languages: English, Hebrew
  • Phone: 212-731-5366
View Scheduling Options

I first became interested in medicine when I was majoring in chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. One day, my mentor asked me to assist in a joint project with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania—and with that exposure came my love for patients and medicine. 

Truth be told, I wanted to be a comedian or a chemist. Unfortunately, I’m not funny enough to be a comedian but too funny for chemistry. So, I settled on medicine. 

I am a surgeon who specializes in breast disease and cancer. When I received my medical training, this was a rapidly growing field but was not yet considered a specialty. I was inspired by physicians such as Peter Pressman, Susan Love, and Robert Hermann—all pioneers in breast conservation surgery, in which some cancers can be treated with a lumpectomy coupled with radiation therapy instead of a more aggressive mastectomy. 

From the very beginning, my relationship with my patients has been one of the most important parts of my job. Every woman comes to me with a different set of experiences and needs, and I make sure this guides her treatment plan. I admire how brave women are when they receive a new diagnosis, and it’s rewarding to be able to help them make the decisions that are best for their individual circumstances. I believe in having an ongoing dialogue with my patients about their care, and I am most gratified when I see them recover and live healthy lives.

In addition to the universal concerns associated with breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, I also consider the age-specific issues that my patients face. Younger women may be concerned about preserving fertility, or how their diagnosis and treatment might affect their young children. Older women may be balancing cancer treatments with other health issues such as osteoporosis or menopause. I listen to their concerns and take all of these considerations into account when developing a treatment plan for each person. 

I am the founder and director of community outreach and education programs, as well as the weekly multidisciplinary breast cancer case management conference at Perlmutter Cancer Center. In addition, I am a board member of several organizations that support and advocate for women affected by breast cancer. These groups include SHARE—an organization that supports women who have breast and ovarian cancer—Young Survival Coalition, Cancer 101, and Sharsheret.

My research has been published in more than 200 peer-reviewed journals. To advance education in the field, I co-wrote a bestselling book on breast health, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to benefit breast cancer organizations. I was a founding committee member of the National Breast Cancer Coalition and have received a number of honors and awards from the Susan G. Komen foundation, SHARE, and the American Cancer Society, among others.

The treatment of breast cancer has changed dramatically and for the better as we learn more about the biology of cancer. At Perlmutter Cancer Center, we are making strides in developing new treatment protocols, and we are gaining new understanding of how young women can reduce their risk of developing breast cancer. Breast cancer will not go away today or tomorrow. But make no mistake—it will go away. Finding the solution won’t be easy, but as physicians and researchers we must be persistent.


Conditions and Treatments

Conditions
  • atypia of breast
  • breast cancer
  • breast disease
  • lobular carcinoma in situ of breast (lcis)
Treatments
  • bloodless surgery

Positions
Board Certifications
  • American Board of Surgery - General Surgery, 1989
Education and Training
  • Residency, Beth Israel Medical Center, Surgery, 1988
  • Fellowship, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Surgery, 1986
  • Residency, Beth Israel Medical Center, Surgery (General), 1985
  • MD from Tel Aviv University, 1982

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This provider accepts the following insurance plans.

  • Aetna
     
    • Aetna HMO
    • Aetna Indemnity
    • Aetna International
    • Aetna Medicare Advantage
    • Aetna Open Access EPO
    • Aetna Open Access HMO
    • Aetna POS
    • Aetna POS (American Express Employer)
    • Aetna PPO
    • Aetna Signature Administrators PPO
    • Aetna Student Plan
    • Allied
    • Chesterfield Resources Inc
    • Christian Brothers Services
    • CoreSource
    • Healthscope
    • Nippon Life of America-Aetna
    • Nippon Life-Aetna
    • Starmark
    • WellNet
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
     
    • Anthem BCBS CT HMO
    • Anthem BCBS CT PPO
    • Anthem BCBS CT Pathway HMO
    • Anthem BCBS CT Pathway PPO
    • BCBS Blue Access EPO Large Group
    • BCBS Blue Access EPO Small Group
    • BCBS Blue Access GEPO Small Group
    • BCBS Blue Access PPO Large Group
    • BCBS EPO
    • BCBS EPO (BlackRock Employees)
    • BCBS EPO (LICH Employees)
    • BCBS EPO - Empire EPO (NYU Langone Employees)
    • BCBS EPO - Empire EPO (Sunset Park/Family Health Center Employees)
    • BCBS EPO - Empire NYU Care (NYU Langone Employees)
    • BCBS EPO - Empire NYU Care (Sunset Park/Family Health Center Employees)
    • BCBS Federal Program
    • BCBS Florida Blue Care HMO
    • BCBS Florida Blue Medicare PPO
    • BCBS Florida Blue Options PPO
    • BCBS Florida Blue Select
    • BCBS Florida MyBlue HMO
    • BCBS Florida Simply Blue
    • BCBS Florida Traditional PPC
    • BCBS HMO
    • BCBS Indemnity
    • BCBS Local 32BJ Employees
    • BCBS Mediblue Medicare HMO
    • BCBS Mediblue Medicare PPO
    • BCBS Mediblue Select HMO/Extra HMO
    • BCBS POS
    • BCBS PPO
    • BCBS PPO (BlackRock Employees)
    • BCBS PPO (LICH Employees)
    • BCBS PPO - Empire PPO (Sunset Park/Family Health Center Employees)
    • BCBS PPO/EPO Small Group
    • New York Hotel Trades
  • Cigna
     
    • Apwu Health Plan
    • Cigna - Humana
    • Cigna Great West PPO
    • Cigna HMO
    • Cigna Indemnity
    • Cigna Managed Care/POS
    • Cigna Medicare Advantage
    • Cigna NALC
    • Cigna Open Access
    • Cigna Open Access PPO
    • Cigna Oscar
    • Cigna PPO
    • Cigna Premier Plus
    • Great West HMO
    • Kaiser Permanente
    • MVP-Cigna Network
    • Wellfleet-NYU Student
  • Connecticare
     
    • Connecticare Bridge
    • Connecticare Commercial
  • Emblem
     
    • Emblem Select Care Bronze Small Group
    • Emblem Select Care EPO
    • Emblem Select Care Gold Small Group
    • Emblem Select Care HMO
    • Emblem Select Care PPO
    • Emblem Select Care Platinum Small Group
    • Emblem Select Care Silver Small Group
  • GHI
     
    • American Plan Administrators
    • GHI CBP (City of New York Employees)
    • GHI Emblem Health EPO
    • GHI Emblem Health PPO
    • GHI HMO
    • GHI HMO Medicare
    • GHI Medicare PPO
    • GHI Medicare Supplement
    • GHI Network Access - Benefit Services of PA
    • GHI Network Access - Humana
    • GHI Network Access - Total Plan Concepts
    • IUOE Local 14-14B
    • Wlny-TV Inc.
  • HIP
     
    • HIP Access I
    • HIP Access II
    • HIP Bridge
    • HIP Child Health Plus
    • HIP EPO
    • HIP HMO
    • HIP Medicare Supplement
    • HIP POS
    • HIP PPO
    • HIP Prime Basic Exchange
    • HIP Prime Bronze
    • HIP Prime Bronze Exchange
    • HIP Prime Catastrophic Exchange
    • HIP Prime Gold
    • HIP Prime Gold Exchange
    • HIP Prime Platinum
    • HIP Prime Platinum Exchange
    • HIP Prime Silver
    • HIP Prime Silver Exchange
    • HIP VIP Medicare Bold
    • HIP VIP Medicare Prime
    • Vytra HMO
  • Hamaspik Choice
     
    • Hamaspik Choice Medicare DSNP
  • Hotel Trades Council
     
    • Hotel Trades Council
  • Humana
     
    • Humana Medicare Advantage
  • Local 1199
     
    • Local 1199 - NYU Hospital Member Choice
    • Local 1199 PPO
  • Magnacare
     
    • Bricklayers Ins and Welfare Fund
    • Magnacare PPO
  • Medicare
     
    • Medicare Part A and B
    • Medicare Part B
  • Multiplan
     
    • AXA Assistance USA
    • Administrative Concepts
    • Beech Street PPO
    • Diversified Administration Corporation
    • Fiserv Health
    • GEHA
    • Global Excel
    • Global Health
    • Guardian Life Insurance Co Of America
    • Health Net Of California
    • Health Republic Of NJ
    • Humana Health Plan
    • Insurance Design Administrators
    • Kaiser Foundation
    • Kaiser Permanente
    • Meritain Health
    • Multiplan PPO
    • Multiplan-Capital Dist Phys Health
    • Mutual Of Omaha
    • Nippon Life Ins Co
    • PHCS
    • Professional Benefit Admin
    • Qualcare Inc
    • Screen Actors Guild
    • Teamsters Allied Benefits
    • US Life Insurance Company
  • NYSHIP - The Empire Plan
     
    • NYS Health Insurance Plan - The Empire Plan, Excelsior Plan, NY Student Employee Health Plan
  • Oxford
     
    • Oxford Health Plans Freedom
    • Oxford Health Plans Liberty
  • POMCO Insurance Company
     
    • POMCO Insurance Company
  • Qualcare Inc.
     
    • Qualcare Direct
  • Railroad Medicare
     
    • Palmetto GBA Railroad Medicare
  • Sedgwick WTC
     
    • World Trade Center - Sedgwick
  • Tricare
     
    • TriWest
    • Tricare
    • US Family Health Plan
  • United Healthcare
     
    • AARP Medicare Complete
    • Bind Benefits inc
    • Oxford Health Plans Medicare Advantage
    • UMR
    • Unite Healthcare (NY University Care Plan)
    • United Healthcare AARP
    • United Healthcare All Savers
    • United Healthcare Choice
    • United Healthcare Choice (AMEX employees)
    • United Healthcare Choice (Blackrock employees)
    • United Healthcare Choice (CBS employees)
    • United Healthcare Choice (Simon
    • United Healthcare EPO
    • United Healthcare EPO (NYU Langone Health Employees)
    • United Healthcare Golden Rule Insurance
    • United Healthcare HMO
    • United Healthcare Indemnity
    • United Healthcare Indemnity (NYU Langone Health Employees)
    • United Healthcare Medicare
    • United Healthcare Navigate
    • United Healthcare POS
    • United Healthcare PPO
    • United Healthcare Plus (NYU Langone Health Employees)
    • United Healthcare Student Resources
    • United Healthcare Student Resources (NYU)
    • United Healthcare Value, Advantage and HDHP (New York University employees)
    • UnitedHealthcare Choice (NY Power Authority Employees)
  • VA Community Care Network
     
    • VA CCN Optum
  • Village Care
     
    • VillageCare
  • WTC Health Program
     
    • NY Fire Department - WTC
    • WTC Health Program
View All Accepted Plans This list of insurances changes regularly, and insurance plans listed may not be accepted at all office locations for this provider. Before your appointment, please confirm with your insurance company that this provider accepts your insurance.

Deborah M. Axelrod, MD does not accept insurance.

Locations and Appointments

NYU Breast Surgery Associates

160 East 34th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10016

Academic office

160 East 34th Street

Third Floor

New York, NY 10016

Phone

212-731-5366

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View All Research Studies (2)

Read All Publications (208)

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