Dr. James Pingpank

Doctor Overview

Dr. James Pingpank, associate professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and surgical oncologist at UPMC’s Hillman Cancer Center, is a leading expert in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma. A graduate of The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., Dr. Pingpank completed his residency at the University of Connecticut, a research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and a surgical oncology fellowship at the Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Dr. Pingpank’s expertise is in regional treatment strategies, in particular, cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), for patients with primary peritoneal mesothelioma. A noted lecturer and researcher, Dr. Pingpank is actively involved in clinical trials and his work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed medical journals. He is committed to peritoneal mesothelioma patients and their families and to finding innovative treatment strategies for mesothelioma.

Dr. Pingpank has been a keynote speaker at many mesothelioma conferences and symposiums, including the 2008 International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma. This annual symposium is sponsored by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and helps to connect, educate and empower mesothelioma patients and their families. Dr. Pingpank has been involved with several clinical trials designed to evaluate new treatment options for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma and his writings have been published in a number of medical journals and publications, including The American Surgeon and The Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Doctor Fast Facts

Main Specialty: General Surgery

Other Interests & Specialties: General surgery, surgical oncology, metastatic gastrointestinal cancer, stomach tumors, small bowel tumors, colon cancer, liver cancer, advanced malignancies of the liver, advanced malignancies of the peritoneal cavity, peritoneal mesothelioma and cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal metastasis.

Certifications, Awards & Accolades: American Board of Surgery Certification in Surgery, ACS Fellow, named Regional Top Doctor, Technology Transfer Award, named one of Castle Connolly’s Regional Top Doctors

Education & Experience:

• Medical Degree from George Washington University School of Medicine
• Residency at the University of Connecticut Department of Surgery
• Fellowship at the Fox Chase Cancer Center Department of Surgery

Did You Know? There are approximately 3,000 mesothelioma cases per year in the U.S. Many doctors have little or no experience with this rare cancer. It is imperative to consult with an experienced mesothelioma specialist to ensure you or a loved one receives the best treatment plan possible. Connect With a Top Mesothelioma Doctor

Publications

Postoperative Complications Independently Predict Cancer-Related Survival in Peritoneal Malignancies. Annals of Surgical Oncology. December 2018;25(13):3950-2959. doi: 10.1245/s10434-018-6823-9

Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemoperfusion in Adolescent and Young Adults with Peritoneal Metastases. Annals of Surgical Oncology. April 2017;24(4):875-883. doi: 10.1245/s10434-016-5689-y

The prognostic significance of BAP1, NF2, and CDKN2A in malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Modern Pathology. January 2016;29(1):14-24. doi: 10.1038/modpathol.2015.121

Prognostic significance of morphological growth patterns and mitotic index of epithelioid malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Histopathology. April 2016;68(5):729-737. doi: 10.1111/his.12807

Institutional learning curve of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion for peritoneal malignancies. Annals of Surgical Oncology. May 2015;22(5):1673-1679. doi: 10.1245/s10434-014-4111-x