- Fellowship - UT Southwestern Medical Center (2000-2004), Gynecologic Oncology
- Residency - Riverside Methodist Hospital (1997-2000), Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Internship - Riverside Methodist Hospital (1996-1997), Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Medical School - East Carolina University (1993-1996)
- Other Post Graduate Training - UT Southwestern (2000-2004)
Jayanthi Lea, M.D.
- Patricia Duniven Fletcher Distinguished Professorship in Gynecological Oncology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology - Gyn Oncology
- Surgical Treatment for Gynecologic Cancer
- Tumor debulking for ovarian and fallopian tube cancer
Biography
Jayanthi Lea, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She specializes in the treatment of ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and other gynecologic malignancies.
Dr. Lea graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She earned her medical degree at East Carolina University School of Medicine and completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Following a four-year gynecologic oncology fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center, she joined the UT Southwestern faculty as a scholar of the NIH Reproductive Scientist Development Program (RSDP).
Dr. Lea is board certified in both gynecologic oncology and obstetrics and gynecology and is skilled in radical pelvic surgeries, including radical hysterectomy, ovarian cancer cytoreductive surgery, and endometrial cancer surgery. She is also skilled in minimally invasive surgeries such as robotic surgery and advanced laparoscopic surgery.
While she was an RSDP scholar, Dr. Lea investigated the molecular pathogenesis of cervical cancer. Her translational research interest is in the development of clinical trials for ovarian cancer using novel therapeutic agents. She has published several papers on cervical and ovarian cancer.
As the Division Chief of Gynecologic Oncology and the Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern, Dr. Lea oversees the mission of the gynecologic oncology division and the training for physicians who will be the cancer leaders of tomorrow.
She was included in D Magazine's Best Doctors list for 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022, and was also named a Texas Monthly Super Doctor in 2018.
Meet Dr. Lea
Gynecologic Oncologist
Throughout her career, Jayanthi Lea, M.D., has been at the forefront of evaluating and treating gynecologic cancers. Her patients range from young women to senior citizens diagnosed with cervical, uterine, endometrial, ovarian, and other types of cancers of the reproductive system. She brings together all aspects of care – from evaluation and staging of the disease to treatment.
"All women with symptoms or findings suspicious for a gynecologic malignancy should be evaluated by a physician trained in gynecologic oncology. Prognosis and outcome are dependent on timely diagnosis and employment of accurate surgical and other primary forms of treatment."
Based on understanding the complete needs of the patient and the complexities of the cancer, Dr. Lea guides patients through a comprehensive range of treatment alternatives and support services to manage the disease. This includes state-of-the-art surgical care, the latest therapeutic treatments, and support services.
Her expertise includes ovarian cancer debulking surgery, laparoscopic and robotic/minimally invasive surgery, sentinel node biopsies, and fertility-sparing surgery. She also specializes in advancements such as targeted therapies, which are improving survival rates for gynecologic cancers. This includes the development of biologic agents, which offer a customized approach to targeting cancer at the molecular level.
Additionally, her specialties include treating advanced stages of gynecologic cancers. She emphasizes that UT Southwestern Medical Center provides the best option in North Texas for patients with cancers that are typically considered untreatable to gain access to new therapeutic alternatives and clinical trials.
As the Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern, Dr. Lea oversees training for physicians who will be the cancer leaders of tomorrow. She is board certified in gynecologic oncology and obstetrics/gynecology.
Dr. Lea is the Co-Primary Investigator for the National Cancer Institute’s Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) at UT Southwestern and serves on the committees to evaluate cervical cancer treatment protocols and gynecologic cancer prevention. She has been recognized locally and nationally for her work, including being named to the Best Doctors in America list.
Dr. Lea speaks both English and Tamil.
Education & Training
Professional Associations & Affiliations
- Society of Gynecologic Oncology
- NRG Oncology Group
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- American College of Surgeons
Honors & Awards
- Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society 2023
- D Magazine Best Doctor, 2018, 2020-2022
- Best Doctors in North Carolina 2009
- Best Doctors in America 2009
- Best in Category Research Award 2007, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinical Meeting
- Reproductive Scientist Development Program Scholar 2006, NIH K12 Award
- Fellow 2006, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Fellow 2016, American College of Surgeons
Books & Publications
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Publications
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Oxygenation in cervical cancer and normal uterine cervix assessed using blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) MRI at 3T.
Hallac RR, Ding Y, Yuan Q, McColl RW, Lea J, Sims RD, Weatherall PT, Mason RP NMR in biomedicine 2012 Dec 25 12 1321-30 -
Lymph node metastasis in endometrioid adenocarcinomas of the uterine corpus with occult cervical involvement.
Boren T, Lea J, Kehoe S, Miller DS, Richardson D Gynecologic oncology 2012 Oct 127 1 43-6 -
Cervical cancer.
Lea JS, Lin KY Obstetrics and gynecology clinics of North America 2012 Jun 39 2 233-53 -
Correlation of cone biopsy with findings at radical hysterectomy and use of adjuvant radiation therapy.
Boren TP, Carrick K, Kehoe SM, Lea J, Miller DS, Richardson DL Gynecologic oncology 2012 Mar 124 3 508-11 -
Secondary Cytoreductive Surgery for Platinum Sensitive Ovarian Cancer
Schorge JO, Wingo SN, Bhore R, Hefferenan TP, Lea JS Int. Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics November 2009 -
Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC) as a Regulator of Murine Ovarian Cancer Growth and Sensitivity
Phelps SLB, Carbon J, Miller A, Castro Rivera E, Arnold S, Brekken R, Lea JS American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2009 200:180 -
Implications of EGFR Inhibition in Ovarian Cancer Cell Proliferation
Phelps SLB, Schorge JO, Peyton MJ, Shigematsu H, Xiang L, Miller DS, Lea JS Gynecologic Oncology 2008 411-17 -
Silencing of HPV 18 Oncoproteins with RNA Interference Causes Growth Inhibition of Cervical Cancer Cells.
Lea JS, Sunaga N, Sato M, Kalahasti G, Burbee DG, Minna JD, Muller CY Reproductive Sciences. January 2007 Vol. 14, No.1 20-28 -
Silencing of HPV 18 Oncoproteins with RNA Interference Causes Growth Inhibition of Cervical Cancer Cells.
Lea JS, Sunaga N, Sato M, Kalahasti G, Burbee DG, Minna JD, Muller CY Reproductive Sciences January 2007 Vol 14, No 1 20-28 -
Understanding the Mecahnisms of FHIT Inactivation in Cervical Cancer for Biomarker Development
Lea JS, Ashfaq R, Muneer S, Burbee DG, Miller DS, Minna JD, Muller CY Journal Soc Gynecol Invest 2004 11 329-37 -
Adenosquamous Histology Predicts Poor Outcome
Lea JS, Coleman RL, Garner EO, Duska LR, Miller DS, Schorge JO Gynecologic Oncology 2003 91:558-62 -
Cervical Adenocarcinoma in situ in Women Younger than Forty Years
Lea JS, Shin CH, Sheets EE, Gehrig PA, Coleman RL, Duska LR, Miller DS, Schorge JO Gynecologic Oncology 2002 87:129-132 -
Stage IIB-IVB Cervical Adenocarcinoma: Prognostic Factors and Survival
Lea JS, Wenham RM, Sheets EE, Duska LR, Coleman RL, Miller DS, Schorge JO Gynecologic Oncology 2002 84:115-9 -
The Role of Para-Aortic Lymph Node Dissection in Early Stage Cervical Adenocarcinoma
Lea JS, Sheets EE, Duska LR, Miller DS, Coleman RL, Muller CY, Schorge JO Gynecologic Oncology 2002 285:288
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Oxygenation in cervical cancer and normal uterine cervix assessed using blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) MRI at 3T.
Research
- Ovarian Cancer
- Developmental Therapeutics
- Cervical Cancer
Clinical Focus
- Surgical Treatment for Gynecologic Cancer
- Tumor debulking for ovarian and fallopian tube cancer
- Radical Hysterectomy
- Gynecologic Robotic & Minimally Invasive Surgery
Articles by Dr. Lea
Results: 1 Locations
Gynecologic Oncology Clinic
at Cancer Care Outpatient Building 6202 Harry Hines Blvd., 4th FloorDallas, Texas 75235 (214) 645-4673 Directions to Gynecologic Oncology Clinic Parking Info for Gynecologic Oncology Clinic