Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive type of cancer that can quickly spread to the lungs. The disease is also one of the rarest types of cancer, and most doctors have never treated a patient with it.
The best way to improve prognosis and potentially beat this cancer for good is by seeing a mesothelioma specialist. These are doctors who have extensive experience diagnosing mesothelioma, reviewing scans, creating a treatment plan, and performing aggressive surgery to remove tumors.
There are many pleural mesothelioma specialists to choose from. Mesothelioma Guide put together a list of five top doctors for pleural mesothelioma.
Click here for a full list of all pleural mesothelioma doctors.
Dr. Joseph Friedberg, Temple University Health System
Dr. Joseph Friedberg is the co-director of the Temple Health Mesothelioma and Pleural Disease Program at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia, PA. He is an expert at performing mesothelioma surgery and has helped many patients live past the normal life expectancy for this cancer.
Dr. Friedberg prefers a surgery called pleurectomy with decortication. This operation spares the lungs and focuses on removing the lining of the lungs (called the pleura).
He previously worked at the University of Maryland Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is a pioneer in using photodynamic therapy for mesothelioma.
Dr. Wickii Vigneswaran, James A. Haley VA Hospital
Dr. Wickii Vigneswaran is a well-respected thoracic surgeon who specializes in pleural mesothelioma. He also believes in the value of robotics surgery.
Dr. Vigneswaran is a thoracic surgery professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. He sees veterans with mesothelioma at the James A. Haley VA Hospital, which is part of the VA Tampa Healthcare System.
Dr. Vigneswaran is one of just four mesothelioma specialists who works at a VA medical center. This is a valuable resource for veterans with mesothelioma living in the southeast region of the United States.
Dr. Taylor Ripley, Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center
Dr. Taylor Ripley is a highly regarded thoracic surgeon and pleural mesothelioma specialist. He is Co‑Director of the Thoracic Oncology Working Group at the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Houston, TX. This cancer center is top-rated and affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine.
Dr. Ripley can perform both extrapleural pneumonectomy and pleurectomy with decortication surgeries for mesothelioma. He also specializes in robotic surgery for minimally invasive operations.
Dr. Anne Tsao, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Dr. Anne Tsao is the Director of the Mesothelioma Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. This cancer center is affiliated with the University of Texas and is ranked as one of the top cancer centers in the world.
Dr. Tsao sees people with pleural mesothelioma and is highly regarded among her colleagues and patients. She specializes in creating personalized treatment plans for patients to give them the best chance of prolonging their survival – with the goal of defeating the cancer entirely.
Dr. Adam Bograd, Swedish Cancer Institute
Dr. Adam Bograd is a thoracic surgeon and specialist doctor of pleural mesothelioma. He’s the head of mesothelioma treatment at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, WA.
Dr. Bograd had two fellowships at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and one involved lab work for mesothelioma cases. He prefers the lung-sparing mesothelioma surgery called pleurectomy with decortication.
Dr. Bograd has a 4.9 star rating out of 5 stars for 56 patient reviews – one of the highest ratings of any doctor at the Swedish Cancer Institute. He also received the 2023 Thoracic Surgery Top Doctor award and has earned Seattle’s Top Doctor recognition for multiple years.
Help Finding a Doctor for Pleural Mesothelioma
If you have pleural mesothelioma and need help finding a mesothelioma specialist, Mesothelioma Guide experts can help.
Contact our registered nurse, Karen Ritter, at karen@mesotheliomaguide.com for help reaching out to a mesothelioma specialist who can create a treatment plan and has high success rates with surgery. You can choose one of the five doctors above, or any listed on this page of the top mesothelioma doctors in the United States. Karen will provide her expert opinion based on your type of mesothelioma, stage, health, and distance from each doctor (where you live).
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