Anyone that is diagnosed with mesothelioma today is strongly recommended to find a doctor or specialist that understands the complicacy and intricacies of this rather unusual cancer. Since the disease only represents 0.3 percent of all diagnosed caners, only select few of doctors possess the required knowledge and experience to focus on mesothelioma. As such, it is important that we know whom we are going to rely on. Several mesothelioma specialists across the United States have emerged as the leading doctors in the field, using the most advanced methods and treatment approaches in order to give patients a longer survival and life expectancy. These doctors oftentimes work at prestigious and reputed hospitals and many have been involved in ongoing clinical trials. Some of most recognized mesothelioma doctors in the United States include:
- David Sugarbaker, M.D.
Thoracic Surgery
- Abraham Lebenthal, M.D.
Pleural Mesothelioma
- Robert B. Cameron, M.D.
Cardiothoracic Surgery and
Surgical Oncology
- Jacques Fontaine, M.D.
Thoracic Surgery
- Charles Conway, M.D.
Peritoneal surface malignancies,complex oncologic surgeries
- Rodney Landreneau, M.D.
Thoracic Surgery
- F. Pingpank Jr. M.D.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Specialists at Top Treatment Centers
- Brigham & Women’ s Hospital
The International Mesothelioma Program, known as IMP, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital situated in Boston is known as one of the most recognized centers I the globe. It does push to develop the advancement in multimodal therapy, utilizing a combination of radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. The doctors there are Scott Swanson, who is a professor of surgery at Brigham and Women’s and a pioneer in the development of vide-aided thoracic surgeries. Another specialist there is Raphael Bueno, who is the assistant chief of IMP and extensively involved in developing new therapies and treatments in dealing with mesothelioma.
- D. Anderson Cancer Center
The Mesothelioma Program available at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston does provide a premier radiation therapy program is known as the leader in researches on mesothelioma with a long list of clinical trials. Doctors working there include Anne Tsao, who is a program director and well-recognized leader in thoracic oncology; David Rice, who has been involved in pioneering developments of therapy using radiation; and Stephen Swisher, who is the chairmen of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Department and gene therapy.
- Pacific Meso Center
The Pacific Meso Center, also known as PC, in Los Angeles is one part of the Pacific Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and also known as the West Coast Leader in the Treatment of mesothelioma. Heading the program is renowned surgeon Robert Cameron, M.D. He was the one first developing the lung-sparing pleuctomy or decortication surgical therapy. In addition in Los Angeles is surgeon Jay Lee, who is the director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at UCLA.
- Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai Hospital situated in the city of New York is one of the oldest and most renowned medical centers in the United States. In addition it now denotes the home to two of the most reputed mesothelioma specialists in the country. Raja Flores, M.D., who is the chief of thoracic surgery, has been the leading authority in pleural mesothelioma. There is also surgical oncologist, Daniel Labow, M.D. who has carved his niche with the peritoneal mesothelioma and also the hyperthermia intraperitoneal chemotherapy, known as HIPEC, which he helped pioneer. They also worked with Andrea Wolf, M.D. who is the assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery, who has advanced the case for multimodal therapy with patients that have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Mount Sinai once did play a leading role in enacting asbestos-in-the-workplace guidelines which are adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is also known as OSHA.
Guidance on How to Choose Your Mesothelioma Doctor
One of the most essential considerations is choosing a doctor that you can trust entirely with your care. You will need to evaluate the doctor’s experience and expertise while also getting close and comfortable with the head of a team that is charged with trying to save your life.
In fact, establishing a sound and good relationship with your health care team assures everyone, including you, your doctors, your loved ones, and the nurses. This relationship can help you achieve efficient communication with each other. There are some questions that you need to address in choosing your mesothelioma doctor. Hereunder are the things you have to consider.
- How many years has the doctor been working in the realm of mesothelioma?
- Do I really want this doctor to make the decision for me or just offer me some options?
- Will the doctor respect my choices and address all of my question and concerns?
- Can I communicate with the doctor openly?
- Does the doctor accept the insurance I have?
- Is it easy to travel to the facility for all of my future appointments?
- How many cases of mesothelioma cancer has the doctor dealt with in his or her career? Have any of those cases been recent?
- What kinds of mesothelioma does this doctor deal with? Has he or she handled any cases in my particular subtype?
- What treatments does the doctors use to treat mesothelioma case?
- Is the doctor ready to treat my cancer if it develops and spreads to other parts of my body?
- Does the doctor support any supplemental sorts of therapy in addition to the direct medical intervention?
- Does the facility that the doctor is associated with provide the access to any clinical trials? Can the doctor help me to sign up for any which may qualify for?
Financial Assistance devoted to Mesothelioma Patients
Patients that face financial issues may be eligible for some travel grants. Some specialists focusing on mesothelioma work remotely with doctors in certain states, which makes their expertise available to those that cannot travel long distance. Our patient advocates can help you to connect with the right mesothelioma specialist for you. That being said, there is no doubt that every single patient diagnosed with mesothelioma can get proper treatment required, which is important to expand his or her life expectancy.
