Peter WT Pisters, M.D., honored with Charles M. Balch, M.D., Distinguished Service Award from Society of Surgical Oncology

MD Anderson News Release March 06, 2026

  • Top award from Society of Surgical Oncology honors physicians, scientists and physician-scientists who have made outstanding contributions to surgical oncology

  • Recognition highlights Pisters’ outstanding commitment to and leadership within the field

Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was honored today with the Charles M. Balch, M.D., Distinguished Service Award at the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 2026 Annual Meeting in recognition of his substantial contributions and leadership in the field of surgical oncology.

The prestigious service award highlights the achievements of physicians, scientists and physician-scientists who have made outstanding contributions to surgical oncology through service to SSO, research, training the next generation of surgical oncologists, or advancing clinical care or health policy. The award’s namesake, Charles M. Balch, M.D., is a professor of Surgical Oncology at UT MD Anderson. Internationally regarded as a leading surgical oncologist, Balch has actively served SSO for 30 years, including leading as its president in 1991. 

"Dr. Pisters is far more than an outstanding surgical oncologist. He possesses exceptional clinical skill, intellectual rigor and the heart of a true leader. Following in the traditions of UT MD Anderson's founding surgical leader, Dr. R. Lee Clark, he brings a bold, unifying vision that elevates everyone around him," Balch said. "With this honor, Dr. Pisters joins an elite group of iconic surgeons who stand among the most influential national leaders of the 21st century."

Renowned as a cancer surgeon, researcher, professor and hospital administrator, Pisters leads the nation’s top-ranked cancer center, influencing the oncology landscape nationally and internationally. Pisters earned his medical degree at Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University in Ontario, Canada, completed postgraduate work at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, where he served as chief administrative fellow, and received a master’s degree in health care administration at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, MA. 

Following his fellowship in New York, Pisters joined the faculty at UT MD Anderson in 1994 as an assistant professor of Surgery, and in 2004 became a full professor with tenure. He served more than 20 years at UT MD Anderson as a faculty member and medical director, helping guide the institution’s expansion across metropolitan Houston. His research focused on sarcomas, GI cancers and other malignancies, and he has published nearly 400 peer-reviewed and additional articles, book chapters, teaching aids and other publications. Pisters returned to UT MD Anderson in 2017 after serving as president and chief executive officer of University Health Network, Canada’s largest research hospital.

In recent years, he has guided the institution through historic milestones, driving transformative progress in its mission to end cancer. Under his leadership, UT MD Anderson has earned widespread recognition for its commitment to quality, nursing excellence and patient experience. The institution is ranked number one in the nation for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-26 "Best Hospitals" survey, and it has maintained the top ranking for the past 11 years. UT MD Anderson has achieved a five-star rating for five consecutive years in Vizient’s Quality and Accountability scorecard, and ranks among the world’s best in nursing, earning its sixth consecutive Magnet Recognition, and first with Distinction, in 2025 from the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®.

“I’m deeply appreciative of this recognition from SSO, an organization that plays a vital and influential role in the field of oncology,” Pisters said. “Receiving this honor is a significant milestone for me. I want to acknowledge and thank my mentors, colleagues and trainees whom I’ve had the privilege to work with to advance patient care and research throughout my career.”