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Obtaining the best medical treatment available is a priority for those diagnosed with mesothelioma. Often, the best approach to treating mesothelioma is an interdisciplinary one and can include oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and medical professionals from a variety of other disciplines. To assist you in your search for the best mesothelioma cancer treatment available, we have identified the following top mesothelioma experts in the country.


01. Dr. Raphael Bueno

Dr. Raphael Bueno


Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery; Co-Director, The Lung Center

Dr. Raphael Bueno is a mesothelioma expert.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 732-8148

Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Vice Chair of Surgery for Cancer and Translational Research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Raphael Bueno is a surgical oncologist whose work revolves around discovering innovative mechanisms by which to both detect and treat thoracic cancers such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. A graduate of Harvard Medical School (1985) and a Professor of Surgery at Harvard, Bueno is a leader among his peers who was selected as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in 2013.

Dr. Bueno also serves as the Program and Research Director of the International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. The largest program of its kind in the world, the IMP integrates a clinical program, research program, and support program all aimed at offering patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma the most advanced treatment strategies available.

Widely published in top-rated peer-reviewed medical journals, Dr. Bueno is a noted lecturer sharing his expertise as a thoracic surgeon and serves as a principal investigator in several ongoing clinical trials that support his groundbreaking research dedicated towards advancing the treatment of patients with lung cancer and mesothelioma.

02. Dr. James Pingpank

Dr. James Pingpank


Surgical Oncologist

Dr. James Pingpank

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

5115 Centre Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
(412) 692-2852

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 mesothelioma patients and their families and to finding innovative treatment strategies for peritoneal mesothelioma.

03. Dr. Harvey Pass

Dr. Harvey Pass


Chief, Thoracic Oncology NYU Cancer Center

Dr. Harvey Pass

NYU Langone Medical Center

160 East 34th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10016
(212) 731-5414

Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center, Dr. Harvey Pass is considered an expert in the treatment of a number of malignant lung diseases, including mesothelioma. Formerly with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Pass continues his relationship with the NCI and NCI-funded research work in his role as director of the Bellevue Hospital Laboratory, which is home to the Mesothelioma Pathogenesis Program Project.

Dr. Pass has also conducted numerous clinical trials investigating the use of intraoperative photodynamic therapy for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. He was also the first surgeon in the country to contemplate the use of this form of therapy for patients suffering from thoracic cancers. In addition, he lectures extensively about the dangers of asbestos use, is a keynote speaker at mesothelioma awareness events, and has been published in countless peer-related journals.

04. Dr. Anne S. Tsao

Dr. Anne S. Tsao


Director, Mesothelioma Program/Thoracic Chemo-Radiation Program

Dr. Anne TsaoUniversity of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, Unit 432
1400 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, TX 77030
(713) 792-6363

Dr. Anne Tsao is the Mesothelioma Program Director at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas where she specializes in treating mesothelioma and other thoracic cancers. A graduate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Tsao is board certified in medical oncology and internal medicine.

Dr. Tsao has conducted much scientific research and has been involved in a large number of clinical trials aimed at identifying new mesothelioma treatment protocols. As a result of her research she has authored several scientific research articles. She is also the recipient of a number of awards including the American Society of Clinical Oncology Merit Award and the M.D. Anderson Achievement in Research Award.

05. Dr. Raja M. Flores

Dr. Raja M. Flores


Chief, Thoracic Surgery

Dr. Raja Flores

Mount Sinai Medical Center

1470 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10029
(212) 241-9466

Dr. Flores is considered a leading expert in the research and treatment of pleural mesothelioma. Currently Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Flores is a graduate of New York University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed numerous internships and residencies including a Thoracic Oncology Clinical Research Fellowship and residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Dr. Flores has led many clinical trials involving the study and treatment of mesothelioma. A notable trial recently completed by Dr. Flores studied the use of neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy and high dose radiation to treat malignant mesothelioma. Another clinical trial led by Flores was profiled in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and focused on the largest series of cases comparing extrapleural pneumonectomy to pleurectomy decortication. Dr. Flores is a contributor for many peer-reviewed journals and is active in a number of professional organizations.

06. Dr. Claire Verschraegen

Dr. Claire Verschraegen


Medical Oncologist

Dr. Claire Verschraegen

Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
460 West 10th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
(800) 293-5066

A native of Belgium and currently a Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont and Director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Vermont Cancer Center, Dr. Claire Verschraegen is a leading expert in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma. Dr. Verschraegen has expertise in hematology and oncology and has been involved in numerous clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of new chemotherapy drugs on this rare type of mesothelioma cancer. She also specializes in gynecological and appendiceal cancer and devotes much of her time researching new and emerging drugs that may be used to treat these diseases as well.

Dr. Verschraegen is board certified in medical oncology and internal medicine in both America and Belgium. As a member of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, she has appeared as a keynote speaker at numerous symposiums and conferences. She is a Fulbright scholar and is the author of many peer-reviewed articles and scientific papers.

07. Dr. David M. Jablons

Dr. David M. Jablons


Chief of Thoracic Surgery

Dr. David Jablons

UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion

Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
1600 Divisadero Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94143
(415) 885-3882

A renowned expert on lung cancer and a leader in surgical therapies for thoracic cancers such as pleural mesothelioma, Dr. David Jablons is an Ada Distinguished Professor of Thoracic Oncology and Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. He is also Chief of General Thoracic Surgery at the UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion.

After earning his medical degree from Albany Medical College of Union University, Dr. Jablons completed a surgical residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center and a Cardiothoracic Fellowship at Cornell University Medical Center. He has authored numerous articles and research papers and receives many requests to lecture about his lung cancer research at conferences and meetings around the world. Dr. Jablons leads research at the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Laboratory on the molecular biology and genomics of lung cancer.

08. Dr. Lary A. Robinson

Dr. Lary A. Robinson


Director, Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Dr. Lary Robinson

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

12902 USF Magnolia Drive
Tampa, FL 33612
(888) 663-3488

As Director of the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida, Dr. Lary Robinson is an expert in the evaluation and treatment of all stages of mesothelioma. Dr. Robinson earned his medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri and completed an internship at Duke University Medical Center. After serving as a flight surgeon for the U.S. Air Force he completed a Fellowship in Surgery Research and a residency in general and thoracic surgery at Duke University.

Dr. Robinson has served on the Science Advisory Board of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and works on numerous cancer research programs focused on advanced lung cancer and surgical treatment of mesothelioma. He had also authored and co-authored many books, articles and research papers and has been published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

09. Dr. Eric Vallieres

Dr. Eric Vallieres


Thoracic Surgeon

Dr. Eric Vallieres

Swedish Cancer Institute at Swedish Medical Center

Swedish Thoracic Surgery-First Hill
1101 Madison Street, Suite 900
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 215-6800

Dr. Vallieres is the Surgical Director at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle Washington and specializes in general thoracic surgery, lung cancer and pleural disease. He attended medical school at the Unitersite Laval Medical School in Quebec, Canada and completed a general surgery residency in Ontario at the University of Toronto. Dr. Vallieres also completed a Fellowship in Thoracic Surgery at the University of Bordeaux in France.

Dr. Vallieres participates in a number of professional organizations and leads several clinical research trials. He is also the author of many articles and abstracts related to lung cancer and pleural disease and a strong advocate for a multidisciplinary approach to treating these illnesses.

10. Dr. Stephen C. Yang

Dr. Stephen C. Yang


Professor, Surgery and Oncology

Dr. Stephen C. Yang

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

600 N. Wolfe Street Blalock 240
Baltimore, MD 21287
(410) 614-3891

Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery, Surgical Director of the Lung Transplantation Program, and Surgical Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Stephen C. Yang has strong expertise in diagnosing and treating diseases of the lung and chest including mesothelioma and lung cancer. He is also an Associate Professor of Surgery and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Yang earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia, completed his surgical residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, a Fellowship at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and a Cardiothoracic Fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia. He is board certified in thoracic surgery and is a member of the International Association for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery.

Dr. Yang has completed extensive research relating to the early diagnosis of lung cancer and esophageal cancer as well as multi-modal approaches to treating the diseases. He also has expertise with video-assisted thoracic surgery, robotic assisted thoracic surgery and lung volume reduction surgery for those diagnosed with emphysema. He is also the author of a large number of scientific articles and abstracts.

11. Dr. David H. Harpole, Jr.

Dr. David H. Harpole, Jr.


Vice Chief, Division of Surgical Services

Dr. David Harpole

Duke Cancer Center

20 Duke Medicine Circle
Durham, NC 27710
(919) 668-8413

Dr. Harpole serves as the Director of the Lung Cancer Prognostic Research Laboratory and is the Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs at Duke University Medical Center. He is also an Associate Professor of Surgery and Assistant Professor of Pathology at the center.

Dr. Harpole earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed a General Surgery Internship and a Thoracic Surgical Fellowship at the Duke University Medical Center. He also taught at Harvard Medical School and worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as an Associate in Thoracic Surgery. He also served as a consultant in thoracic surgery at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and was a Staff Thoracic Surgeon at West Roxbury Veterans Medical Center.

His clinical research focuses on general thoracic surgery, thoracoscopic surgery and benign and malignant lung disease treatment. Dr. Harpole is board certified in thoracic surgery and is a member of a number of professional and medical societies. He is also the author of numerous articles and publications.

12. Dr. Robert Brian Cameron

Dr. Robert Brian Cameron


Chief of General Thoracic Surgery

Dr. Robert Cameron

West Los Angeles VA Medical Center

10780 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 470-8980

Dr. Robert Cameron currently serves as the Director of the Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. Dr. Cameron earned his medical degree from UCLA where is also completed a General Surgery Residency. In addition, he completed an Oncology Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute as well as a residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Cornell-New York Hospital.

Dr. Cameron has conducted extensive research in the areas of thoracic oncology, thoracic pain management, video-assisted surgery, lung volume reduction surgery and immunology. He currently participates in a number of professional associations and serves as Chairman of the UCLA-Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Disclaimer: Mesothelioma.com has no affiliation with and is not endorsed or sponsored by Dr. Robert B. Cameron. The contact information above is listed for informational purposes only. You have the right to contact Dr. Cameron directly.

Obtaining the best medical treatment available is a priority for those diagnosed with mesothelioma. Often, the best approach to treating mesothelioma is an interdisciplinary one and can include oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and medical professionals from a variety of other disciplines. To assist you in your search for the best mesothelioma cancer treatment available, we have identified the following top mesothelioma experts in the country.