Mesothelioma expert joins the medical team at Mount SinaiNew York, New York - This summer, Dr. Raja M. Flores, M.D. was appointed to the position of Director of the Thoracic Surgical Oncology Program and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai’s Tisch Cancer Institute in New York City. Dr. Flores is a preeminent surgeon specializing in lung cancer, esophageal cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the body’s major cavities and organs that is predominantly caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos.
Dr. Flores joins Mount Sinai after working at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and is famous for his technical and diagnostic expertise. He has authored several groundbreaking studies, including a landmark study that changed surgical management of pleural mesothelioma, which specifically affects the lining of the lungs. This study, entitled “Extrapleural Pneumonectomy versus Pleurectomy Decortication in the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma,” has been widely cited since its publication in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in 2008.
Dr. Flores’ study proved that removing only part of the pleural membrane around the lungs was as successful as removing the entire lung in pleural mesothelioma patients. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma, making up 75% of cases. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the next most common type, affecting the lining of the abdomen and making up 20% to 30% of cases.
Dr. Flores is also the author of over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, reviews, books and book chapters, and he has participated in more than 100 international speaking tours. Additionally, his work has been released in such prestigious journals as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, The Annals of Surgery, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and the Journal of Vascular Surgery.
