Elizabeth A. Arena, MD

Double board-certified in General Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Dr. Arena specializes in caring for patients with both benign and malignant diseases of the breast. As one of the first ever American Board Certified Surgical Oncologists, Dr. Arena has specific expertise that make her one of the most esteemed breast surgeons in the greater Los Angeles area.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, Dr. Arena was awarded a medical degree with honors from the New York University School of Medicine. Upon completing her M.D., she completed a seven-year general surgery residency at Yale University, where she spent two years of research examining cellular physiology. She then moved to Los Angeles to undertake a surgical oncology fellowship, during which she assisted in a broad range of complex surgical oncologic procedures.

While completing her fellowship at the distinguished Saint John’s Cancer Institute Dr. Arena presented her research at several regional and national oncology meetings. Her oral presentation at the Southern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons addressed the differences between demographic groups in breast reconstruction after mastectomy. She has also conducted research in areas including the optimal surgical management of head and neck melanoma and novel techniques in colon cancer staging; the latter was published in the medical journal Advances In Surgery.