David J. Winchester, M.D., F.A.C.S.

(847) 675-3900
David J. Winchester, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Surgical Oncologist, City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago
Clinical Expertise
  • Breast Cancer
  • Adrenal Tumors
  • Parathyroid Disease
  • Melanoma
  • Sarcomas
  • Thyroid Tumors
Other Languages Spoken
Spanish
Academic Appointments
  • Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery
Additional Contacts
  • Referring Physicians Phone
    (847) 746-9990
  • Referring Physicians Fax
    (847) 342-4089
  • Referring Physicians Email
    [email protected]

In April 2023, David J. Winchester, M.D., joined City of Hope® Cancer Center Chicago as a surgical oncologist, where he evaluates and treats patients with a variety of types and stages of cancer, primarily focusing on breast cancer, adrenal cancer, melanoma, parathyroid tumors, sarcomas and thyroid diseases.

Dr. Winchester earned his medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and completed his general surgery residency at Northwestern University’s McGaw Medical Center, also in Chicago. He went on to finish his education with a general surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. After his fellowship, Dr. Winchester was recruited to Evanston Hospital and worked in the NorthShore University HealthSystem for 28 years before joining City of Hope.

Dr. Winchester is a member of numerous societies and associations, including the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Surgical Association and the Breast Expert Panel of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), serving as co-author of the "AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, 8th Edition." Recently, he was primary author for a Journal of Clinical Oncology article regarding a large-scale study that analyzed outcomes of breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant therapy, creating a validated staging model to define breast cancer prognosis. Additionally, he is also a co-author of more than 135 publications.


 


 

Dr. David Winchester explains how he forges deep relationships with cancer patients to develop customized treatment plans using the latest innovations and technologies. Watch the video to learn more about Dr. Winchester.

Location

Education & Experience

Board Certifications

  • Surgery – American Board of Surgery

Degrees

  • Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois

Residency

  • General Surgery – Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

Fellowship

  • Surgical Oncology – University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

Awards & Memberships

Awards

  • Cum Laude, Dartmouth College, 1982
  • Society of Surgical Oncology Travel Grant, 1993
  • American Radium Society Young Oncologist
  • Travel Award for Surgical Oncology, 1995
  • Sixth International Congress on Anti-Cancer Treatments Travel Award, 1996
  • Metropolitan Chicago Chapter of the American College of Surgeons Representative for the Annual Meeting of Young Surgeons, 1998
  • Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Department of Surgery
    1998, 1999 Academic Achievement Award, First Place
  • Northwestern University Medical School, Department of Surgery
    2000-2001 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2001-2002 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2002-2003 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2003-2004 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2005-2006 Excellence in Teaching Award
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Trials Participation Award 2005 ASCO Annual Meeting May 15, 2005, Orlando, Florida
  • NorthShore University HealthSystem Board of Directors/David P. Winchester, MD Endowed Chair of Surgical Oncology May 6, 2008-present
  • University of Chicago Department of Surgery
    2010-2011 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2011-2012 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2012-2013 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2015-2016 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2016-2017 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2017-2018 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2018-2019 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2019-2020 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2020-2021 Excellence in Teaching Award
    2021-2022 Excellence in Teaching Award
  • US News & World Report "Best Doctor" 2013-2022
  • America's Top Doctors (book series): 12th Edition, 13th Edition, 14th Edition, 15th Edition
  • Chicago Magazine: Top Doctors: 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
  • America's Top Doctors for Cancer (book series): 10th Edition, 8th Edition, 9th Edition
  • Chicago Magazine - Women's Health: 2019
  • Newsweek: 2015
  • Castle Connolly America's Top Doctors (digital guide): 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
  • Castle Connolly America's Top Doctors for Cancer (digital guide): 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
  • Chicago Magazine-Cancer Doctors: 2017, 2019, 2022
  • Chicago Magazine-Aging: 2020
  • Karen Dove Cabral Foundation Guiding Spirit Award, October 18, 2015

Memberships

  • Society of Surgical Oncology
  • American College of Surgeons
  • Association for Academic Surgery
  • Midwest Surgical Association
  • Chicago Surgical Society
  • Western Surgical Association
  • American Society of Breast Surgeons
  • American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
  • American Surgical Association

Publications

  • Winchester DJ, Singh L, Edge SB, Allison KH, et al. Novel Postneoadjuvant Prognostic Breast Cancer Staging System. J Clin Oncol. 2025 Jun 10;43(17):1948-1960.
  • Zuber SM, Kuchta K, Holoubek SA, Khokar A, Moo-Young T, Prinz RA, Winchester DJ. Validated predictive model for treatment and prognosis of adrenocortical carcinoma. Surgery. 2024 Mar;175(3):743-751.
  • MacKinney EC, Kuchta KM, Winchester DJ, et. al. Overall survival is improved with total thyroidectomy and radiation for male patients and patients older than 55 with T2N0M0 Stage 1 classic papillary thyroid cancer. Surgery. 2022 Jan;171(1):197-202.
  • Kantor O, Barrera E, Kopkash K, Pesce C, Barrera E, Winchester DJ, Yao K. Are we overtreating hormone receptor positive breast cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy? Role of OncotypeDx® for hormone receptor positive patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol. 2019 Oct;26(10):3232-3239.
  • Kantor O, Pesce C, Kopkash K, Barrera E, Winchester DJ, et al. Impact of the Society of Surgical Oncology-American Society for Radiation Oncology margin guidelines on breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy trends. J Am Coll Surg. 2019 Jul;229(1):104-114.
  • Winchester DJ, Sahin AA, Tucker SL, Singletary SE: Tubular carcinoma of the breast: predicting axillary nodal metastases and recurrence. Annals of Surgery 1996;223(3):342-7.
  • Patel SR, Winchester DJ, Benjamin RS: A 15-year experience with chemotherapy patients with paraganglioma. Cancer 1995;76:1476-80.
  • Tyler DS, Winchester DJ, Caraway NP, Hickey RC, Evans DB: Indeterminate fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid: Identification of subgroups at high risk for invasive carcinoma. Surgery 1994;116(6):1054-60.
  • Hecht JR, Winchester DJ: Male breast cancer. Am J Clin Path 1994;102 (suppl 1):S25-S30.
  • Hines JR, Winchester DJ: Total lobectomy and total thyroidectomy in the management of thyroid lesions. Arch Surg 1993;128:1060-1063.
  • Winchester DJ, Pearce WH, McCarthy WM, McGee G, Yao JST: Popliteal venous aneurysms. Surgery 1993;114:600-7.
  • Merkel DE, Winchester DJ, Rademaker AW, Goldschmidt RA, August CZ, Wruck DM, Duda RB: DNA flow cytometry and pathologic grading as prognostic guides in node-negative breast cancer. Cancer 1993;72:1926-32.

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings and reviews below are gathered from the Press Ganey Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG CAHPS) survey. CG CAHPS is a standardized survey that is used to measure a patient's experience in the physician office setting. Ratings are an average of all responses to questions about a provider's care, with five stars being the highest.
5.0
Provider explain in way you understand
5.0
Provider listen carefully to you
5.0
Show respect for what you say
4.9
Recommend this provider office
4.9
Know important info medical history
4.9
Spend enough time with you
4.9
Rate provider 0-10
03/23/26
Dr Winchester listened well, gave clear options, and I walked away with a much clearer understanding of my surgical options. - Verified patient
03/15/26
Everyone was wonderful. I will gladly recommend the practice to others. - Verified patient
03/15/26
Dr Winchester was outstanding. He thoroughly read all my medical records before hand and was ready to discuss my situation in detail the moment he came into the room. He had my complete trust within the first few minutes. He is so kind and caring and capable that I was at ease immediately. - Verified patient
03/13/26
I have seen this provider since 2004 and have the upmost confidence in this provider's care and treatment. This is one reason why I followed Dr. Winchester to this location for my treatment. He is caring and treats me with kindness and has always given me the time I need. - Verified patient
03/05/26
Excellent person and very professional doctor. - Verified patient