Dr. Eric Vallieres
Dr. Eric Vallieres is now retired from the Swedish Cancer Institute at Swedish Medical Center. Mesothelioma patients can seek specialized treatment from other doctors in Washington or nearby states.
Find other mesothelioma doctorsDoctor Overview
Dr. Eric Vallieres is a retired thoracic surgeon in Seattle, Washington. He has had a career-long interest in developing innovative, surgery-based approaches to treating patients, including those with pleural mesothelioma. In 2023, Dr. Vallieres received the “Thoracic Surgery Top Doc” award.
Dr. Vallieres’ career in the United States began in 1996, when he came to the country to work as an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine. In 1998, he was recognized as the Department of Surgery’s “Teacher of the Year.”
In 2004, Dr. Vallieres started his thoracic surgery practice at the Swedish Cancer Institute. The Institute’s surgeons specialize in minimally invasive procedures such as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and robotic-assisted surgery.
While serving as Surgical Director of the Lung Cancer Program at Swedish Cancer Institute, Dr. Vallieres worked with a team of oncology doctors to provide individualized treatment. He received the “Seattle Top Doctor” award for several consecutive years.
Thoracic surgeons can perform life-extending surgeries. Mesothelioma patients may be referred to thoracic surgeons to remove tumor mass or help relieve symptoms associated with mesothelioma.
While specializing in general thoracic surgery, Dr. Vallieres’ career also focused on developing improved treatments for various conditions, including pleural diseases like mesothelioma. He is recognized as an authority and advocate for multimodality therapy. For over 25 years, he led efforts in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest to use surgery-based approaches to treat mesothelioma. In one study, Dr. Vallieres and his colleagues looked at treating pleural mesothelioma patients using a multimodal approach. A combination of chemotherapy, extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and radiation proved safe in patients. This approach may be called SMART, or Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy.
Dr. Vallieres has been involved in various clinical trials. For example, he was the surgical principal investigator for the Southwest Oncology Group 9900 Intergroup phase III study. This trial evaluated the role of pre-operative chemotherapy for the management of early-stage resectable non-small cell lung cancer.
As a scholarly author, he has published over 150 articles and abstracts, including articles in scientific peer-reviewed journals like the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Doctor Fast Facts
Main Specialty: Thoracic Surgical Oncology
Other Interests & Specialties: Thoracic surgery, lung cancer, epidemiology, mediastinal cyst, bronchoscopy, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), aneurysm, mesothelioma, phototherapy, pleural cancers, pleural effusion, decortication of lung, thoracentesis (pleurocentesis), lung resection, abdominal cancer and clinical research.
Certifications, Awards & Accolades: Royal College Physicians and Surgeons Certification of General Surgery, Royal College Physicians and Surgeons Certification of Thoracic Surgery, America’s Top Doctors for Cancer, America’s Top Doctors, Seattle Met Top Doctor Award, Seattle Magazine Top Doc Award, member of the Royal College Physicians and Surgeons Canada, Society Thoracic Surgery, Western Thoracic Surgical Association, ACOSOG, ASCO, IASLC, General Thoracic Surgical Club, SWOG, Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgeons
Education & Experience:
- Medical Degree from Faculty of Medicine Université Laval
- Residency at the University of Toronto
- Fellowship with Prof. Louis Couraud, Bordeaux, France
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.
Publications
Trimodality Therapy for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. September 2009;88(3):870-876. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2009.05.036
Chronic Traumatic and Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernias: Presentation and Surgical Management. Canadian Respiratory Journal. 2002;9(2):135-139. doi: 10.1155/2002/625025
Preoperative chemotherapy in stage III non-small cell lung cancer: long-term outcome. Lung Cancer. October 1999;26(1):3-6.
Sources
Pisters KMW, Vallières E, Crowley JJ, Franklin WA, Bunn PA, Ginsberg RJ, et al. Surgery with or without preoperative paclitaxel and carboplatin in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer: Southwest Oncology Group Trial S9900, an intergroup, randomized, phase III trial. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Apr 10;28(11):1843–9.
Swedish. Eric Vallieres, MD, FRCSC.
Swedish. Thoracic Surgery.
