About

Paul A. Kedeshian, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained head and neck oncologic surgeon specializing in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery. He is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Head and Neck Surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Dr. Kedeshian received his undergraduate degree with honors from Harvard University and his medical degree from New York University, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Society. He completed his residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA Medical Center and further advanced his expertise through an NIH-accredited fellowship in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. His clinical practice emphasizes adult surgical procedures, particularly salivary gland disorders, head and neck oncology for benign and malignant neoplasms, thyroid and parathyroid disorders, and image-guided endoscopic sinus surgery for revision sinus procedures, nasal polyposis, and benign sinonasal neoplasms.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Biology
• Cell biology
• Surgery
• Cancer research

Selected publications

• Impact of postoperative fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography on adjuvant head and neck cancer treatment

  JNCI Cancer Spectrum · 2025-07-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Residual or recurrent cancer after surgery but prior to adjuvant therapy occurs in a proportion of patients with head and neck cancer and may warrant treatment changes. 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) may help to identify residual or recurrent disease but is not routinely obtained. We evaluated the relevance of postoperative FDG-PET/CT in this clinical context. METHODS: This single-institution, retrospective study identified patients with head and neck cancer who underwent definitive surgery between January 1, 2013, and April 1, 2023, and received a postoperative FDG-PET/CT prior to adjuvant treatment. We measured the rates of management changes resulting from postoperative FDG-PET/CT findings and the association between having a postoperative FDG-PET/CT which resulted in a management change and oncologic outcomes with selected multivariable competing-risks and proportional hazards regressions. RESULTS: Of 150 patients, 66 (44.0%) had a management change because of the postoperative FDG-PET/CT findings; 62 (93.8%) had radiotherapy plan changes, 20 (30.3%) underwent additional diagnostic testing, 11 (16.7%) had systemic therapy added or changed, 3 (4.6%) underwent reresection, and 15 (10.0%) switched to palliative-intent treatment. Having a postoperative FDG-PET/CT that resulted in a management change was not significantly associated with cancer recurrence or overall survival (both P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with resected head and neck cancer, postoperative, pre-adjuvant therapy FDG-PET/CT can alter clinical management and may enable additional personalization of treatment. When practical to obtain without delaying treatment, postoperative FDG-PET/CT may have clinical utility though requires careful interpretation due to the risks of false positives.

  PublisherDOI

• Incidental Finding of Lymphoma after Septoplasty

  Allergy & Rhinology · 2016-01-01 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: Septoplasty, or surgical correction of the deviated septum, is an elective, routinely performed rhinologic procedure to address nasal airway obstruction. In many cases, resected septal cartilage and bone fragments are sent for pathologic review, although there is no consensus on this practice. We reported two cases of incidentally diagnosed lymphoma after elective septoplasty and discussed clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of two patients who underwent septoplasty at a tertiary academic medical center and found to have incidental lymphoma based on histopathology. RESULTS: Two patients who underwent septoplasty had an incidental diagnosis of lymphoma on pathologic analysis. One patient was noted to have an S-shaped septal deviation that produced bilateral nasal obstruction. She underwent a difficult septoplasty, in which the mucoperichondrial flap was firmly adherent to the underlying septum and bone. Final pathology demonstrated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. She was treated with chemoradiation and remained free of disease at 59 months. The other patient had a history of nasal trauma, which produced left septal deviation. He underwent an uncomplicated septoplasty, with pathology that demonstrated low-grade B-cell lymphoma. Because there was no evidence of active disease, the decision was made to not treat and to observe the patient clinically. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first reported series of septal lymphoma incidentally diagnosed on routine septoplasty. Although histopathologic review of specimens from routine nasal and sinus surgery is not routinely performed, this report highlighted the importance of this process, on a case-by-case basis, in detecting unexpected malignancies that otherwise were clinically silent.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Invasive fungal sinusitis in a healthy athlete due to long‐term anabolic steroid use

  The Laryngoscope · 2014-01-24 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  Invasive fungal rhinosinusitis is a potentially fatal infection that affects immunocompromised patients. Prognosis is generally poor despite aggressive medical and surgical treatments. We present the first reported case of invasive fungal sinusitis in a healthy 18-year-old male athlete who was taking anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). The effects of excessive AAS use on the immune system are not fully understood, but there may be consequences at supraphysiological concentrations. This case demonstrates potential immunomodulatory effects of anabolic steroids and highlights a previously unknown cause of invasive fungal sinusitis.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Pulmonary Amyloidosis as a Paraneoplastic Process in Head and Neck Cancer

  The Laryngoscope · 2011-01-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Sublingual Rhabdomyoma

  Otolaryngology · 2010-07-23

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Free accessAbstractFirst published online August 2010Sublingual RhabdomyomaBob Armin, MD, presenter and Paul Kedeshian, MDView all authors and affiliationsVolume 143, Issue 2_supplhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.otohns.2010.06.307

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• MRI Findings in Castleman's Disease of the Parotid

  Otolaryngology · 2010-07-23

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• SP169 – Does size matter? The relationship between parathyroid adenoma mass and intra-operative PTH values

  Otolaryngology · 2009-08-30

  article
  PublisherDOI

• S143 – Benign and Malignant Lipogenic Tumors of the Retropharynx

  Otolaryngology · 2008-08-01

  article

  Objectives Lipogenic tumors of the retropharyngeal space are neoplasms that can grow to a considerable size before becoming symptomatic. In this study we compare clinical, radiologic, and histologic findings of benign versus malignant lipogenic tumors of the retropharyngeal space. Methods Retrospective review of a case series. Results 2 patients were identified with large lipogenic tumors of the retropharynx. The first patient was 66‐year‐old female with a 6‐week history of progressive airway difficulty and dysphagia requiring tracheostomy and gastrostomy‐tube placement. Preoperative imaging revealed a lipoma of the retropharynx. A transcervical excision of her retropharyngeal mass revealed a 10⋉9⋉4.8 cm lipoma. The second patient was a 57‐year‐old female with a 4‐week history of progressive left neck swelling, airway compromise, and odynophagia. Preoperative imaging revealed a heterogeneous mass in the retropharynx with fatty and solid components. After an initial awake tracheostomy a transcervical excision of a 15⋉5.5⋉4.0 cm mass was performed. Pathology revealed liposarcoma with scattered dedifferentiated regions. Postoperative radiation therapy was given for focally positive surgical margins. Both patients are recurrence‐free at 36 months follow‐up. Conclusions Although lipogenic tumors of the retropharyngeal space are rare these cases illustrate that they present at advanced stages, often requiring tracheostomy for airway control. The clinical course of lipomas and liposarcomas can be similar. However, careful inspection of preoperative imaging will heighten suspicion for malignancy, which is critical in surgical planning.

  PublisherDOI

• EGF-R signaling through Fyn kinase disrupts the function of integrin α6β4 at hemidesmosomes

  The Journal of Cell Biology · 2001-10-29 · 305 citations

  articleOpen access

  We have examined the mechanism and functional significance of hemidesmosome disassembly during normal epithelial cell migration and squamous carcinoma invasion. Our findings indicate that a fraction of EGF receptor (EGF-R) combines with the hemidesmosomal integrin alpha6beta4 in both normal and neoplastic keratinocytes. Activation of the EGF-R causes tyrosine phosphorylation of the beta4 cytoplasmic domain and disruption of hemidesmosomes. The Src family kinase inhibitors PP1 and PP2 prevent tyrosine phosphorylation of beta4 and disassembly of hemidesmosomes without interfering with the activation of EGF-R. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicate that Fyn and, to a lesser extent, Yes combine with alpha6beta4. By contrast, Src and Lck do not associate with alpha6beta4 to a significant extent. A dominant negative form of Fyn, but not Src, prevents tyrosine phosphorylation of beta4 and disassembly of hemidesmosomes. These observations suggest that the EGF-R causes disassembly of hemidesmosomes by activating Fyn, which in turn phosphorylates the beta4 cytoplasmic domain. Neoplastic cells expressing dominant negative Fyn display increased hemidesmosomes and migrate poorly in vitro in response to EGF. Furthermore, dominant negative Fyn decreases the ability of squamous carcinoma cells to invade through Matrigel in vitro and to form lung metastases following intravenous injection in nude mice. These results suggest that disruption of hemidesmosomes mediated by Fyn is a prerequisite for normal keratinocyte migration and squamous carcinoma invasion.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Commentary

  Journal of Surgical Oncology · 2000-10-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Sanford H. Barsky

  Meharry Medical College

  4 shared

• Mark D. Sternlicht

  2 shared

• Abie H. Mendelsohn

  2 shared

• Jeffrey D. Suh

  University of California, Los Angeles

  2 shared

• Thomas C. Calcaterra

  University of California, Los Angeles

  2 shared

• Bobby A. Tajudeen

  Rush University Medical Center

  1 shared

• Anna Maria Curatola

  New York University

  1 shared

• Agnese Mariotti

  1 shared

Awards & honors

• Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Society