Early Detection, A Patient's Journey - Matt Goerke

NEW YORK -- Matt Goerke travels the country as a public speaker. In 2015, he felt an unusual sensation in his throat that turned out to be a tumor on his tonsil.

He sought the expertise of Dr. Erik Cohen, president of the New York Head and Neck Society, and a surgeon who specializes in transoral robotic surgery at Morristown Medical Center's Leonard B. Kahn Head and Neck Cancer Institute. Dr. Cohen determined that Matt was an ideal candidate for robotic surgery.

"It was an opportunity to do a minimally invasive surgical approach as the only treatment," says Dr. Cohen who is medical director of Atlantic Center for Head & Neck Surgery. "So for Matt, that was ideal because he uses his voice professionally."

"Detecting head and neck cancer at an early stage is vitally important for successful outcomes. It's easy to ignore some of the more subtle symptoms," says Dr. Cohen, but Matt listened to his body and when something did not feel right, he sought help.

Learn more about Atlantic Health System's head & neck cancer surgery >