Dr. Robert Cameron
Thoracic Surgeon at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center
Dr. Robert Cameron conceptualized the pleurectomy with decortication surgery for pleural mesothelioma. Before this, there was one surgery available to patients.
Pleural Mesothelioma
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095
More About Mesothelioma Specialist Dr. Robert Cameron
Dr. Cameron is head of the mesothelioma program at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center. He’s a thoracic surgeon at the hospital’s cancer center. He is also Chief of General Thoracic Surgery at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center for veterans.
He is the innovator behind the lung-saving pleurectomy with decortication (P/D). Dr. Cameron developed P/D as an alternative to the extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP). He believed P/D could produce survival rates comparable to EPP while sparing the patient’s lung.
He’s also a professor of cardiothoracic surgery and surgical oncology at UCLA School of Medicine. He’s been a faculty member since 1997.
How to contact:
West Los Angeles VA Medical Center
10780 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 100, Los Angeles, California 90025-7613
Phone: (310) 470-8980
Fax: (310) 470-3742
Email: rcameron@mednet.ucla.edu
Nurse practitioner: Lien Hua-Feng
Secretary: Martha Martinez
- Medical Degree from UCLA School of Medicine, 1984
- Residency in General Surgery at UCLA Medical Center, 1985-1986 and 1989-1992
- Lead adviser for the Scientific Advisory Board at the Pacific Meso Center
- Co-founder and former director of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
Dr. Cameron’s Treatment Plan
Before pleurectomy with decortication, the pleurectomy procedure had no curative potential for mesothelioma patients. Dr. Cameron changed that. Here are the steps of his P/D surgery for pleural mesothelioma:
Patients receive up to four cycles of systemic chemotherapy treatment. The last cycle occurs 2-3 weeks before surgery.
Patients undergo surgery, usually pleurectomy/decortication, if eligible. This surgery leaves both lungs alone. It peels the pleural lining out of the lung cavity. The surgeon also removes part or all of the diaphragm and pericardium (lining around the heart).
During potential surgery, patients receive 60 minutes of intraoperative chemotherapy. This is called hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC).
Treating Patients at the West Los Angeles VA
Dr. Cameron helped found the Elmo Zumwalt Comprehensive Mesothelioma Program at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. The program offers top-notch treatment for veterans with mesothelioma.
Treatment at the West Los Angeles VA includes:
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Surgery
The mesothelioma program at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center has become one of the top treatment centers in the country. Veterans can rest assured they’ll get the same kind of care as those at the best cancer centers across the country.
Benefits of treatment through the VA includes:
- Equal treatment to what is offered at top cancer centers
- Oversight by specialists like Dr. Robert Cameron
- Reduced medical costs with VA health care
Veterans seeking the best treatment for their disease can find it at the West Los Angeles VA. Learn more about options for veterans in our free Veterans Support Guide.
Disclaimer: Mesothelioma Guide 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.
Sources & Author
- ROBERT CAMERON, MD. Pacific Heart Lung & Blood Institute. Retrieved from: http://www.phlbi.org/about/scientificadvisoryboard/dr-cameron/. Accessed: 12/13/2017.
- ROBERT B. CAMERON, MD FACS. Pacific Heart Lung & Blood Institute. Retrieved from: http://www.phlbi.org/about/dr-robert-b-cameron-md/. Accessed: 12/13/2017.
- Hope for Veterans with asbestos-related cancer. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved from: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/14948/hope-for-veterans-with-asbestos-related-cancer/. Accessed: 12/13/2017.
