Dr. John T. Soper

Surgery and management of patients with cancer is very complex and challenging. I enjoy working at Duke because of the breadth and quality of people we have here. I really feel like I’m working with the best when I’m working with my colleagues. I went into obstetrics and gynecology, because I enjoyed working with women patients. Then as a resident, I found that oncology patients were among the most gratifying to take care of because they appreciate so much everything you try to do for them. In high school and college, I was very interested in science and mathematics, and the human body and physiology. In college, meeting different types of people, I realized that I wanted a profession that gave me the opportunity to interact with all different kinds of people. My wife and I moved here 25 years ago and have never regretted it. It’s a great area to live. Dr. Berchuck is highly rated in 23 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Ovarian Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Ovarian Carcinosarcoma, Tubal Ligation, and Oophorectomy.

My practice and research focuses on patients who have female-specific cancers, such as ovarian, endometrial, cervical, vulvar or vaginal cancer. I offer my patients access to variety of treatments, ranging from surgery to chemotherapy and radiation. My dad was a physician, and my mom was a nurse, so I was exposed to health care at an early age. I enjoy my work on female cancers, because it is one of the few subspecialties to blend surgery and chemotherapy. It also gives me the chance to develop strong relationships with my patients, since I get to take care of my patients before and during their surgery, as well as continue to see them for the rest of their lifetime. I’ve found those patients, who have been able to face their diagnosis with unwavering optimism, to be incredibly inspiring. I have three children, so outside of work I spend as much time as I can with my family. Dr. Alvarez is highly rated in 19 conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Ovarian Cancer, Endometrial Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Hysterectomy, and Intrauterine Device Insertion.

I am a gynecologic oncologist at Duke. I see women who have ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, and vulvar cancer. I also see women with precancerous conditions of the gynecologic organs, which includes cervical dysplasia, vaginal dysplasia, and masses of the ovary that may or may not be cancer. I am fairly direct and let people know what they are dealing with up front. On the other hand, I try to keep everything positive. At this point in my career, I’ve had a lot of experience and will let patients know that while there’s a full range of outcomes that could happen, I have seen a lot of positive examples based on their condition. If I had cancer or a family member of mine had cancer, I would absolutely want them to come to Duke. It’s not just the standard treatments that we offer here, but also the attention to detail and access to world-class clinical trials. Dr. Havrilesky is highly rated in 23 conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Endometrial Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor, Hysterectomy, and Oophorectomy.