Joseph Friedberg, M.D.
Joseph Friedberg, M.D. is a board-certified surgeon specializing in thoracic cancers, including pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer, and lung-sparing surgeries. Dr. Friedberg is the Thoracic Surgeon-in-Chief at Temple University Health Systems and Co-Director of the Temple Health Mesothelioma and Pleural Disease Program.[1]
Education
Dr. Friedberg completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania College of Engineering and Applied Science.
After finishing his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, he stayed on for a year as a Greenebaum Research Fellow under Dr. Judah Folkman.
Dr. Friedberg completed residency programs at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (in otolaryngology) and the Massachusetts General Hospital (in general surgery). Dr. Friedberg was also a Claude Welch Research Fellow for two years at Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed a cardiothoracic surgical fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.[2]
Career and Current Position
After completing his residencies and fellowships in surgery and thoracic surgery, Dr. Friedberg joined the University of Pennsylvania Health System as the chief of Thoracic Surgery at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. He also served as co-director of the Penn Mesothelioma and Pleural Disease Program and was an associate professor in thoracic surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine. At Penn, Dr. Friedberg helped develop the use of photodynamic therapy with lung-sparing surgery.
In 2014, Dr. Friedberg moved to the University of Maryland, where he served as thorracic surgery chief at the Marlene and Steward Greenebaum Cancer Center in Baltimore. Dr. Friedberg was also the University of Maryland’s chief of thoracic surgery and Charles Reid Edwards Professor of Surgery. In 2022 he was named Thoracic Surgeon-in-Chief of Temple University Health System, where he also serves as Vice Chair of Surgical Services for the Department of Thoracic Medicine & Surgery, Professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and Co-Director of the Temple Health Mesothelioma and Pleural Disease Program.
In these positions, Dr. Friedberg works with a multidisciplinary team that helps treat patients with mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other thoracic diseases. He is also currently working on several research projects.
Dr. Friedberg has published more than 100 peer reviewed articles, more than 30 book chapters, and is the inventor on several patents in the United States. He is funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) for his mesothelioma and ‘artificial lung’ research. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF), the Board of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, and the Mesothelioma Committee for the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
Less Invasive Treatments for Pleural Mesothelioma
Dr. Friedberg contributed to current pleural mesothelioma treatment procedures by proving a less invasive surgical procedure was better for patients than the radical surgery known as extrapleural pneumonectomy.
Extrapleural pneumonectomy is an aggressive surgery that removes significant tissue from the chest cavity, including an entire lung. This procedure was long considered a mesothelioma patient’s best chance for survival.
In research trials, Dr. Friedberg showed that using lung-sparing surgery followed by photodynamic therapy could result in higher survival rates. Photodynamic therapy uses a drug to make cancer cells sensitive to a particular wavelength of light.
That light is then used to kill the cancer cells. The improved survival rates may be due to the novel light treatment; however, it is also possible that the gentler surgical procedure simply resulted in fewer complications.[2]
The results of the trial showed that for thirty-seven late-stage patients, the average life expectancy was tripled. The results also demonstrated that photodynamic therapy in place of conventional radiation therapy may have triggered patient immune systems to help fight cancer.
When Dr. Friedberg performed these procedures, the University of Pennsylvania was one of only two locations where patients could receive this innovative treatment.
Other Areas of Research
In addition to pioneering lung-sparing surgery and photodynamic therapy, Dr. Friedberg has numerous other areas of research interest. He is currently developing a cancer treatment that is completely novel called photobrachytherapy. Photobrachytherapy uses a combination of substances and techniques to treat cancer, including radioisotopes, nanovesicles, and immunotherapy.[1]
Dr. Friedberg has also researched an inhaled sealant that could be used in patients with air leaks, sealing the pulmonary system. He is also working on surgical drains and managing non-small cell lung cancer.
He is also developing minimally invasive control of blood vessels and is focusing on improving airway intubation methods. He has also worked on a team developing a lung cancer vaccine.[1]
Organizations and Honors
Dr. Friedberg is a member of a number of prestigious professional organizations including the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American College of Chest Physicians. He has also received several top doctor awards.
Dr. Friedberg has many years of experience as a surgeon and in cancer research. He is also responsible for developing better treatments for people living with terrible diseases. For mesothelioma, Dr. Friedberg believes it should be considered a chronic disease that can be managed. This approach, along with his dedication to patient comfort and outcomes, makes Dr. Friedberg a top mesothelioma doctor.
