Lee Krug, M.D.

Medical oncologist Dr. Lee Krug specializes in the treatment of mesothelioma, the cancer that attacks the lining of internal organs and is linked to asbestos exposure. Few people specialize in this rare cancer, but in his position at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dr. Krug is always advancing our understanding of this disease and helping patients.

Dr. Krug is a working medical oncologist, helping and treating patients, while also conducting research. He leads the Mesothelioma Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering. He oversees other physicians working on better mesothelioma treatment and trains residents and interns, the next generation of doctors who will battle this disease.

Education

Dr. Krug earned his medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He specialized in internal medicine during his residency at Johns Hopkins University medical school in Baltimore. Dr. Krug then completed a hematology and oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute in New York, where he developed an interest in diagnosing and treating patients with mesothelioma. He remained there as a medical oncologist and eventually became director of the Mesothelioma Program.

Career as a Medical Oncologist

Many physicians who specialize in mesothelioma are surgeons. Treatment of this cancer often involves surgery, but non-surgical doctors are also important to advance treatment using chemotherapy, radiation, and other techniques. To provide the best care for patients, medical and surgical oncologists collaborate on treatment.

As a medical oncologist, Dr. Krug works with patients and colleagues to diagnose diseases like mesothelioma and other cancers. He also works with patients to treat them, using imaging scans, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal treatments, immunology, and other evolving and innovative techniques.

Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Center

Dr. Krug is an Associate Attending Physician in the Division of Thoracic Oncology at Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Center in New York, where he also ovesees the Mesothelioma Program. He leads a team of dedicated experts and professionals to diagnose and treat patients with mesothelioma.

Sloan Kettering has a unique group of professionals, led by Dr. Krug, working together to battle mesothelioma. Together this team discusses each patient’s situation, determining the best treatment and enrolling them in any clinical trials from which they may benefit.

Research

An important part of Dr. Krug’s career in medical oncology and mesothelioma has been research to further the understanding of mesothelioma, how to diagnose it, and how to better treat mesothelioma patients. His more than 50 publications have included studies on genetic mutations that may indicate a patient has pleural mesothelioma, and the use of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery in combination for treating the early stages of mesothelioma. This multimodal approach to treating and managing mesothelioma is now widely used by many other cancer specialists.

Dr. Krug’s research also included clinical trials, studies where volunteer patients test the safety and effectiveness of new treatments and procedures. Mesothelioma patients often participate in clinical trials to gain access to treatments not yet approved for general use. Some trials Dr. Krug has led tested chemotherapy before extrapleural pneumonectomy, a surgical procedure for treating pleural mesothelioma. Others tested mesothelioma vaccines and new chemotherapy drugs.

Professional Organizations, Honors, and Achievements

In his decades of work in medical oncology and mesothelioma, Dr. Krug achieved many professional milestones and received many honors. He led the National Comprehensive Cancer Network committee that established guidelines for treating mesothelioma, guidelines that doctors around the world use.

He is also chair of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, or Meso Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to ending mesothelioma through research, education, and advocacy. Dr. Krug belongs to a number of medical professional associations and was listed several years in a row as a Top Doctor in the New York Metro Area.

Dr. Krug has contributed tremendously to the cause of mesothelioma patients. From his clinical work to his devoted research to his nonprofit and advocacy commitments, Dr. Krug is making a real difference in the lives of many patients and their families.