Paul T. Finger, MD, FACS

Paul T. Finger, MD is an Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at Tulane University School of Medicine and a leading figure in ocular oncology. Over his distinguished career, he has established Ocular Tumor Services at The New York Eye Cancer Center, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and New York University School of Medicine, in addition to founding The Eye Cancer Foundation.

Dr. Finger’s clinical and research efforts have been dedicated to advancing the diagnosis and conservative management of ocular tumors, pioneering new ophthalmic techniques to improve patient outcomes. His first major innovation came in 1980, when, as a Tulane medical student, he introduced microwave hyperthermia for treating intraocular tumors in rabbits. By 1986, he secured an investigational device exemption from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat 50 patients with a combination of microwave heat and radiation for choroidal melanomas—marking the beginning of a career devoted to groundbreaking advances in ophthalmic oncology.

As a young clinician-scientist, Dr. Finger played a crucial role as a principal investigator in the 16-year, nationwide Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS). His contributions to the field have been transformative, including the discovery of palladium-103 plaque therapy for intraocular tumors, the development of chemotherapy eye drops for conjunctival melanoma, and pioneering eye- and vision-sparing radiation techniques for cancers located in the iris and around the optic nerve.

A major breakthrough in his career came in 2007, when he became the first to use and patent anti-VEGF treatment for radiation retinopathy and optic neuropathy—an approach that is now widely used worldwide to preserve vision in patients undergoing ophthalmic radiation therapy.

Dr. Finger’s research has also extended beyond treatment to diagnostic innovations. He has advanced the use of high-frequency, low-frequency, and 3D ultrasound to visualize previously inaccessible areas of the eye and orbit. His work demonstrated that whole-body PET/CT imaging can effectively diagnose and stage ocular melanoma, orbital lymphoma, and sebaceous carcinoma, while also serving as a biomarker for choroidal melanoma metastasis. Additionally, he proved that PET/CT can detect systemic metastases to the eye, uncover oculo-systemic sarcoidosis, and assess tumor response to ophthalmic radiation therapy.

Recognizing the need for safer and less invasive biopsy techniques, Dr. Finger leveraged small-gauge aspiration cutter technology to enhance fine-needle aspiration biopsy, enabling self-sealing, micro-incisional intraocular and orbital tumor biopsies—a significant improvement in diagnostic safety and accuracy.

Through his relentless innovation, Dr. Finger continues to redefine the landscape of ocular oncology, improving both treatment efficacy and patient quality of life worldwide.