FINDING A MESOTHELIOMA SPECIALIST
The following physicians are specialists in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. You will find links to their web sites, when available and to some of their published articles.They are listed in no particular order with no particular endorsement.
Mesothelioma is typically treated by an interdisciplinary team of doctors rather than by a single physician. You may run into professionals called oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and pulmonologists. Glossary of members of a thoracic oncology care team. More onchoosing your mesothelioma doctor.
W. ROY SMYTHE, MD
Professor and Chairman/Department of Surgery, Texas A&M University System Health Sciences Center, Scott & White Hospital, Temple, TX
Phone: 254-724-2595
Dr. Smythe is currently accruing patients for a protocol involving extrapleural pneumonectomy and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). (Click here for an abstract of this trial).
DAVID C. RICE, M.B., B.CH., B.A.O.; F.R.C.S.I
Associate Professor, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Division of Surgery/The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Phone: (713) 794-1477
Dr. Rice's main area of clinical interest lies in the surgical management of mesothelioma. In collaboration with colleagues in Radiation Oncology, he has furthered research into intensity modulated radiation therapy after surgical resection of mesothelioma. His research has lead to improved ways of preoperative staging of mesothelioma, and he has participated in neoadjuvant trials of chemotherapy and novel targeted agent.
DAVID J. SUGARBAKER, MD
Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery/Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA Chief, Department of Surgical Services/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
Phone: (617) 732-6824
Dr. Sugarbaker believes in aggressive treatment of pleural mesothelioma. He is a proponent of tri-modal therapy; extrapleural pneumonectomy, chemotherapy and radiation.
Click here for an article by Dr. David J. Sugarbaker that appeared in the The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, January 1999 (12 pages in Adobe PDF format).
LAMBROS ZELLOS, MD, MPH
Attending Thoracic Surgeon; Clinical Co-Director of the International Mesothelioma Program/Brigham & Women's Hospital/Dana Farber Cancer Institute Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Phone: (617) 525-9657
Dr. Zellos is an Attending Thoracic Surgeon and the Clinical Co-Director of the International Mesothelioma Program. Dr. Zellos is a proponent of tailored multimodality therapy for each individual patient. Appropriate therapy may include surgery such as pleurectomy or extrapleural pneumonectomy with chemotherapy or radiation. Dr. Zellos has published several papers on multimodality therapy as well as methods to improve surgical techniques.
VALERIE W. RUSCH, FACS
Attending Thoracic Surgeon/Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Phone: (212) 639-5873
Dr. Rusch is known for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. She has published several papers comparing pleural decortication to extrapleural pneumonectomy.
RAJA M. FLORES, MD
Chief of Thoracic Surgery Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
Phone: (212) 241-9466 (ask for Lina)
Dr. Flores is currently the Principal Investigator on a clinical trial of neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy and high dose radiation, as well as being involved in a trial of neoadjuvant Alimta/cisplatin, extrapleural pneumonectomy and high dose radiation. He has also compiled a 1,000 patient database to research areas of failure, and how to improve treatments for mesothelioma.
PAUL H. SUGARBAKER, MD, FACS, FRCS
Director, Surgical Oncology/Washington Cancer Institute, Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 877-3908
Dr. Sugarbaker is a specialist in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
BRIAN W. LOGGIE, MD
Professor of Surgery, Creighton University Medical School; Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology; Director of Cancer Center/Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Phone: (402) 280-4100
Dr. Loggie specializes in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma and peritoneal carcinomatosis. His protocol, based on eligibility, involves surgical debulking in combination with intraperitoneal heated chemotherapy.
DAVID L. BARTLETT, MD
Professor of Surgery, Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology/UPMC Cancer Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA
Phone: (412) 692-2852
Dr. Bartlett has particular expertise in the management of advanced, complex abdominal malignancies. He also has a research interest in treating advanced carcinomas in the peritoneal cavity, including peritoneal mesothelioma.
CLAIRE F. VERSCHRAEGEN, MD
Director, Clinical Trial Office and Investigational Drug Program/Cancer Research and Treatment Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Phone: (505) 272-4551
Dr. Verschraegen is currently conducting a front-line Alimta/gemcitabine trial for peritoneal mesothelioma patients. She also offers the following Phase I trials for patients who have already been treated with Alimta:
- Phase I Study of Capecitabine with Cisplatin and Irinotecan in Patients with Advanced Malignancies
- Phase I Study of Intravenous TZT-1027 and Gemcitabine, Administered on Day 1 and Day 8 of a Three Week Course in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors
- Phase I Study of Flavoperidol in Combination with Gemcitabine and Irinotecan in Patients with Metastatic Cancer
DAVID P. MASON, MD
Staff Surgeon, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery/Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH
Phone: (216) 444-4053
Dr. Mason is a proponent of aggressive multimodality therapy for malignant mesothelioma. This includes extrapleural pneumonectomy, chemotherapy and radiation with Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). Cleveland Clinic Foundation has amultidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology team with extensive experience and clinical trials in the management of malignant mesothelioma.
DAVID M. JABLONS, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery Chief, General Thoracic Surgery/UCSF Mt. Zion Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
Phone: (415) 885-3882
Dr. Jablons treats pleural mesothelioma with a radical pleurectomy/decortication and is researching other therapies.
LARY A. ROBINSON, MD
Director, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Principal Thoracic Surgical Oncologist/H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL
Phone: (813) 972-8412
Dr. Robinson is a member of the multidisciplinary thoracic oncology group at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center which evaluates and treats all stages of mesothelioma. He is also involved in clinical research programs for lung cancer and mesothelioma.
CRAIG W. STEVENS, MD, PHD
Division Chief, Radiation Oncology/H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute/Tampa, FL
Phone: (813) 972-8424
ROBERT N. TAUB, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons/New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
Phone: (212) 305-4076
Dr. Robert Taub is a medical oncologist who directs the Connective Tissue Oncology Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, where there are a number of ongoing multimodality studies of patients with pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma. The Center is based at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.Click here for a press release announcing a new multimodality study.
DANIEL STERMAN, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine/University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
Phone: (215) 614-0984
Dr. Sterman is the co-author of several informative articles on treatment and clinical trials for pleural mesothelioma.
ERIC VALLIERES, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery, Section of General Thoracic Surgery/University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA
Phone: (206) 598-4477
Dr. Vallieres uses a multidisciplinary approach to thoracic malignancies and related clinical trials. Please see Medical Journal & News Articles for an article Dr. Vallieres co-authored on Induction Chemotherapy, Extra Pleural Pneumonectomy And Adjuvant Fast Neutron Radiationtherapy For Pleural Mesothelioma (Dmm).
STEPHEN C. YANG, MD
Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery/Associate Professor of Surgery and Oncology/Surgical Director, Lung Transplantation Program/Director, Thoracic Oncology Program/Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD
Phone: (410) 614-3891
MARK J. KRASNA, MD
Medical Director of the Cancer Institute at St. Joseph Medical Center/Towson, MD
Phone: (410) 427-2220
Dr. Krasna is the former Head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery, Professor of Surgery and Associate Director for Surgical Oncology in the Greenebaum Cancer Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Dr. Krasna is a leader in the development of thoracic surgery. He is the author of the first textbook on thoracoscopic surgery and has instructed surgeons worldwide on his techniques.
DAVID H. HARPOLE, JR., MD
Associate Professor of Surgery, Thoracic Oncology Program/Assistant
Professor of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
Phone: (919) 668-8413
HARVEY PASS, MD
Professor and Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery/NYU School of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center/New York, NY
Phone: (212) 263-7417
GREGORY P. KALEMKERIAN, MD
Co-Director of Thoracic Oncology/University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center/Ann Arbor, MI
Phone: (734) 936-5281
Dr. Kalemkerian directs the multidisciplinary thoracic oncology clinic at the University of Michigan Cancer Center, in addition to collaborating with the thoracic oncology team at Karmanos Cancer Institute, to develop novel clinical trials for mesothelioma patients.
JOSEPH S. FRIEDBERG, MD
Chief of Thoracic Surgery/University of Pennsylvania at Presbyterian, Philadelphia, PA
Phone: (215) 662-9195
Dr. Friedberg is currently the Principal Investigator on a trial of photodynamic therapy for pleural malignancies, and also on a trial combining Alimta/cisplatin, surgery and XRT.
ROBERT CAMERON, MD
UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Phone: (310) 794-7333
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