Top Mesothelioma Doctors
Finding the right mesothelioma doctor is a critical step for individuals diagnosed with this rare cancer.
The most effective mesothelioma treatment plans often involve an interdisciplinary medical team, including oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and other specialists. To support your search, we’ve identified top mesothelioma doctors from across the United States.
We've also included important questions to ask your doctor, which can help guide conversations and ensure you feel informed and confident about your treatment decisions.
How We Identify Top Mesothelioma Doctors
The mesothelioma doctors listed on this page have a strong track record of diagnosing and treating this complex disease as well as other asbestos-related illnesses. Each doctor meets the following key criteria:
- Participation in clinical trials focused on mesothelioma treatment
- Experience treating mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses
- Affiliation with top cancer centers specializing in mesothelioma
- Published research in respected, peer-reviewed medical journals
Top Mesothelioma Doctors
Obtaining the best medical treatment available is a priority for those diagnosed with mesothelioma. The doctors featured below are some of the top mesothelioma doctors in the country.
- Dr. Raphael Bueno, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Dr. Bryan Burt, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Dr. Raja M. Flores, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
- Dr. David H. Harpole, Jr., Duke Cancer Center, Durham, NC
- Dr. Hedy Lee Kindler, The University of Chicago Medicine, Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine, Chicago, IL
- Dr. Daniel M. Labow, Nuvance Health Medical Practice, Danbury, CT
- Dr. Harvey Pass, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY
- Dr. James F. Pingpank, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- Dr. Lary A. Robinson, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL
- Dr. Anne S. Tsao, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
- Dr. Claire Verschraegen, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH
- Dr. Stephen C. Yang, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
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Dr. Raphael Bueno
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.
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Dr. Bryan Burt
Dr. Bryan Burt is a thoracic surgeon in Los Angeles, California. He is Professor and Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), where he combines clinical expertise, research innovation, and patient-centered care. A board-certified thoracic surgeon, Dr. Burt has advanced training in robotic thoracic procedures. Among the conditions he treats are lung cancer and mesothelioma, along with other thoracic malignancies.
After completing his undergraduate studies at New York University, he earned his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College and trained in general and thoracic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Burt leads an NIH-funded research laboratory and has conducted multiple clinical trials exploring new immunotherapies for thoracic cancers. His research focuses on identifying biomarkers and understanding why some cancers respond to immunotherapy while others develop resistance.
In addition to his research, he serves as Feature Editor for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
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Dr. Raja M. Flores
Dr. Flores is considered a leading expert in the research and treatment of pleural mesothelioma. Currently Chairman for the Department 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 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.
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Dr. David H. Harpole, Jr.
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.
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Dr. Hedy Lee Kindler
Dr. Hedy Lee Kindler is an internationally recognized oncologist and leading authority on mesothelioma and gastrointestinal cancers. She earned her medical degree from the State University of New York College of Medicine, followed by residency training at UCLA Health and Montefiore Medical Center, and a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She currently serves as Director of the Multidisciplinary Mesothelioma Program at the University of Chicago Medicine, where she was also recently appointed Associate Dean for Clinical Science Research, Human Subjects.
A dedicated researcher, Dr. Kindler has led numerous national and international clinical trials, including landmark studies that helped bring new therapies to patients. She has authored more than 220 peer-reviewed publications which have been published in leading cancer-related journals, including the Annals of Surgical Oncology, the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, and The Lancet Oncology, among others.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Kindler was a past president of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, serves as an associate editor of Lung Cancer, and is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, the NCI Pancreatic Cancer Task Force, and the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. As a leader in her field, she is frequently invited to speak, having lectured at hundreds of scientific meetings worldwide.
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Dr. Daniel M. Labow
Dr. Daniel Labow is a board-certified surgeon with a specialty in surgical oncology. He currently serves as the Chair of Surgery at Nuvance Health, serving patients in Western Connecticut and the Hudson Valley in New York. Dr. Labow received his medical degree from Brown University followed by a residency in general surgery at University of Chicago Medicine and a fellowship in surgery and surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Dr. Labow is a highly experienced cancer surgeon who has earned an international reputation for his pioneering work with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to treat metastatic malignancies. This innovative treatment, which delivers heated chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity after surgery, has significantly advanced outcomes for patients with cancers of the abdominal (peritoneal) lining, including mesothelioma and other cancers originating in the colon, appendix, ovaries, and gastric system. During his time at Mt. Sinai, Dr. Labow established one of the busiest HIPEC programs in the United States.
He is also skilled in minimally invasive surgical techniques, which often result in smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery times for his patients. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Labow has published over 75 peer-reviewed articles in leading medical journals, including Cancer and the Annals of Translational Medicine. Professionally, he has been recognized as one of New York Magazine’s Best Doctors and Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors.
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Dr. Harvey Pass
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.
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Dr. James F. Pingpank
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 designed to evaluate new treatment options for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma and his work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed medical journals.
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Dr. Lary A. Robinson
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 has also authored and co-authored many books, articles, and research papers and has been published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
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Dr. Anne S. Tsao
Dr. Anne Tsao is the Mesothelioma Program Director at the MD 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 been involved in a large number of clinical trials and has conducted much scientific research aimed at identifying new mesothelioma treatment protocols. Her work has been widely published in both scientific and medical journals. She is also the recipient of a number of awards including the American Society of Clinical Oncology Merit Award and the MD Anderson Achievement in Research Award.
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Dr. Claire Verschraegen
A native of Belgium and currently the Diane Nye and Michael Rayden Chair in Innovative Cancer Research and Professor of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Director of the Division of Medical Oncology and Associate Director of the Translational Research Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James), Dr. Claire Verschraegen is a leading expert in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma.
Prior to her current position, Dr. Verschraegen served as a Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont and Director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Vermont Cancer Center. 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.
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Dr. Stephen C. Yang
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 MD 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
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Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Being diagnosed with mesothelioma is a life changing event. Patients are suddenly faced with trying to understand a wealth of information about a disease that they may have never heard of before. This may include information about mesothelioma stages, available treatment options, and overall prognosis.
As you deal with your cancer and the process of treatment, it is important to have honest, open discussions with your cancer care team. You should feel free to ask any question that’s on your mind, no matter how trivial it might seem. The following questions are designed to help you prepare for these important discussions with your doctors.
Among the questions you might want to ask are:
- What kind of mesothelioma do I have?
- Has my cancer spread beyond the primary site?
- What is the stage of my cancer and what does that mean to me?
- Based on what you’ve learned about my cancer, what is my prognosis?
- What treatment options do I have?
- What do you recommend and why?
- How long have you been treating patients with this type of mesothelioma and what success have you had?
- Are there any clinical trials available for me to participate in given my diagnosis?
- Are there any risks or side effects associated with the treatment plan you suggest?
- What are the chances my cancer will recur (come back) with this treatment plan?
- What can I do to prepare for treatment?
Asking these questions will provide you with a good start to developing open communications with your team of mesothelioma doctors. It is very likely, however, that you will have additional questions of your own. Please think about these in advance and write them down before you get to the doctor’s office. We hope that you find this framework useful in establishing a good rapport with your cancer care team so that together you can pursue the most effective course of mesothelioma treatment available.
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Dr. F. Perry Wilson is a board-certified physician. He serves as Associate Professor of Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine and is the Interim Director at the Yale Program of Applied Translational Research. Dr. Wilson is a contributor on the Elslaw.com editorial team and is responsible for ensuring that all medical content is accurate.
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