Dr. Adam Bograd
Thoracic Surgeon at the Swedish Cancer Institute
Dr. Adam Bograd is a thoracic surgeon at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, Washington. He is the center’s head of mesothelioma treatment and a top mesothelioma doctor in the Pacific Northwest.
Pleural Mesothelioma
Swedish Cancer Institute/Swedish Thoracic Surgery – First Hill
1101 Madison St., Suite 900, Seattle, WA 98104
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More Information About Mesothelioma Specialist Dr. Adam Bograd
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of tissue linings in the body: the lining of the lungs or abdominal cavity. Most cases of mesothelioma are pleural mesothelioma, which forms in the lining of the lungs. This is Dr. Bograd’s area of expertise.
Dr. Bograd works with Dr. Eric Vallieres at Swedish Cancer Institute in Washington state to make one of the best mesothelioma treatment centers in the world.
Dr. Bograd had two fellowships at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and one involved lab work for mesothelioma cases. He looked into T-cell therapy as a viable treatment for mesothelioma.
During this fellowship, he became interested in treatment for the rare cancer. His second fellowship, in thoracic surgery, led him to train in procedures for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Swedish Cancer Institute is one of a scarce few mesothelioma centers in the Pacific Northwest. It’s part of Swedish Health Services, which has multiple medical center locations around the Seattle metropolitan area.
“Not a lot of people devote attention to patients with rare diseases. Mesothelioma is no different in this sense,” Dr. Bograd said. “I don’t think a lot of people are caught up on the treatment of mesothelioma, or they make treatment decisions based on old or inaccurate data. Case in point, people not being referred for surgical evaluation based on … a notoriously flawed study. I place a ton of pressure on myself to provide high quality up-to-date care for patients.”
Medical Degrees and Residencies
- Medical Degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, 2008
- Residency in General Surgery at New York University, 2015
- Fellowship in Thoracic Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, 2017
Certifications and Memberships
- Certified in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery
- Certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery
Get Connected to Dr. Adam Bograd
Dr. Bograd works for the highly regarded Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, Washington. He’s about to be the head of mesothelioma treatment at the center, working with another specialist, Dr. Eric Vallieres.
Why Choose Dr. Bograd?
- Trained at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Performs extended pleurectomy/decortication surgery
- Research interest in new treatments, such as T-cell therapy
Lung-Sparing Surgery the Preference
Mesothelioma treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy. The first option considered is surgery.
Dr. Bograd prefers to spare the lung for pleural mesothelioma surgery. This surgery is called pleurectomy/decortication, or P/D.
The other surgery for pleural mesothelioma is extrapleural pneumonectomy, or EPP. This type of surgery removes the entire affected lung.
“I prefer to spare the lung if possible,” Dr. Bograd said, noting it’s much better for quality of life and follow-up treatment. “I think patients are more able to get further treatments after P/D surgery.”
Dr. Bograd and the thoracic cancer team see 10-15 mesothelioma cases a year. Around five are operable, which puts the Swedish Cancer Institute and Dr. Bograd near the top of West Coast cancer centers for volume of pleural mesothelioma cases. Most of the cases come from Washington, with a few from nearby states like Montana and Alaska.
Positive Reviews From Patients
Dr. Bograd received 4.9 out of 5 stars for 56 patient reviews on his doctor page. It’s one of the highest ratings of any doctor on the Swedish Medical Center website. He also was awarded the 2023 Thoracic Surgery Top Doctor award and has received Seattle’s Top Doctor recognition for multiple years.
“Dr. Bograd is the best,” one patient wrote in February 2021. “He changed my life in a meaningful way and I can’t thank him and his team enough.”
Part of the reason his patients appreciate him is his approach to communication. He aptly balances the realities of mesothelioma with hope for long-term survival.
“It’s hard,” he said. “It’s probably the hardest thing to do. You don’t want to be too optimistic but you also want to provide some hope for them.
“I tell them, ‘This is what this therapy did for these patients.’ You just go over everything with them.”
How to See Dr. Bograd for Treatment
We can help you connect with Dr. Bograd and his Swedish Cancer Institute colleagues. Our free Doctor Match program is the quickest way to get a list of specialists in your area and elsewhere who can treat your diagnosis.
You can also email our registered nurse, Karen Ritter, at karen@mesotheliomaguide.com. Her patient advocacy has helped many get the treatment they need.
Sources & Author
- Adam J. Bograd, M.D. Swedish Medical Center. Retrieved from: https://www.swedish.org/doctors/thoracic-surgery/wa/seattle/adam-bograd-1245406909. Accessed: 08/02/2023.
AI Summary of Dr. Adam Bograd
Dr. Adam Bograd is a highly experienced thoracic surgeon based at the Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, Washington. He specializes in treating mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs or abdomen, with a primary focus on pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lung lining. Dr. Bograd is recognized for his expertise in this field and works closely with his colleagues to provide comprehensive care for patients diagnosed with this challenging disease. His team at Swedish Cancer Institute manages a significant number of mesothelioma cases each year, making it one of the leading centers on the West Coast for mesothelioma treatment.
Dr. Bograd’s medical background includes training at prestigious institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he completed fellowships in laboratory research and thoracic surgery. His research interests include exploring new therapies for mesothelioma, including immunotherapy options like T-cell therapy. He holds medical degrees from Columbia University and is board-certified in thoracic, cardiovascular, and general surgery. This extensive training and dedication enable him to offer patients the latest and most effective treatment options available. He is committed to providing personalized care and emphasizes the importance of advanced surgical techniques, particularly lung-sparing surgery, which aims to preserve lung function and improve patients' quality of life.
One of Dr. Bograd’s preferred surgical methods is pleurectomy/decortication, a lung-sparing procedure that removes the affected tissue while leaving the lung intact. This approach is usually chosen over more invasive surgery, such as extrapleural pneumonectomy, which involves removing an entire lung. He believes this method offers better outcomes in terms of patient recovery and overall well-being. Patients value his compassionate communication style, as he strives to balance realistic expectations with hopefulness about long-term survival. With a high patient satisfaction rating and multiple recognitions as a top doctor in Seattle, Dr. Bograd continues to serve as a leading figure in pleural mesothelioma care in the region.