In North Carolina, mesothelioma treatment and doctors specializing in this rare cancer offer the best options for patients. A cancer center with excellent patient care and ongoing research can provide you with the most choices and advanced treatments to help you battle the disease.
Cancer Treatment Centers in North Carolina
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and live in North Carolina, don’t worry about traveling far for treatment. Three cancer centers in the state are recognized by the National Cancer Institute for excellence in patient care and for advancing cancer research.
Duke Cancer Institute
While the Duke Cancer Institute at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham does not have a mesothelioma department, it has experts in gastrointestinal and thoracic cancer treatment.[1]
- Duke’s physicians and specialists work in collaborative teams to manage patient care.
- The Gastrointestinal Cancer Group treats patients with peritoneal mesothelioma using surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.
- The Thoracic Cancer Group includes experts in thoracic surgery, an important element of treating pleural mesothelioma. They use minimally invasive procedures whenever possible.
- Mesothelioma patients and their families benefit from Duke’s support services, including therapy, smoking cessation, financial counseling, physical therapy, recreation therapy, palliative care, and more.
- Duke leads several clinical trials, giving patients access to new treatments.
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
This University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill offers world-class cancer care as well as research and clinical trials.[2]
- The Thoracic Oncology Program at Lineberger treats patients with pleural mesothelioma. Treatment plans result from collaborations between medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, thoracic surgeons, nurses, and others.
- Researchers at Lineberger developed more accurate thoracic diagnostic techniques, such as using 3D imaging. Mesothelioma patients may come here for a second opinion.
- The Gastrointestinal Oncology Program treats patients with peritoneal mesothelioma and offers HIPEC treatment.
- The Comprehensive Cancer Support System provides services for patients and their families. These include counseling, health coaching, financial and legal assistance, and integrative medicine.
Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center
Located in Winston-Salem, Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center reaches patients throughout the area and in other states. The treatment center is well known for excellent patient care and cancer research.[3]
- Wake Forest has been recognized multiple times for outstanding patient care, including a Women’s Choice Award and a Lung Cancer Screening Center of Excellence designation.
- Patients can undergo genetic testing here to contribute to precision medicine, a more tailored treatment plan.
- Only available at a few treatment centers across the U.S. Wake Forest performs HIPEC, an innovative and effective treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma.
- The Lung Cancer Program offers pleural mesothelioma patients comprehensive treatment from leading experts in chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and other aspects of care.
- Wake Forest conducts clinical trials and matches patients to studies that could benefit them.
Mesothelioma Specialists in North Carolina
Mesothelioma patients in North Carolina benefit from several specialists and other qualified physicians who can treat this rare cancer.
David H. Harpole, Jr. M.D.
Dr. Harpole is a thoracic surgeon at the Duke Cancer Institute. He specializes in treating malignancies of the lungs and chest, including pleural mesothelioma. His research focuses on developing better treatment protocols and has included clinical trials with mesothelioma patients.[4]
Edward A. Levine, M.D.
A surgical oncologist at Wake Forest Baptist, Dr. Levine is a leading expert in peritoneal cancers. He is also one of the most experienced practitioners of HIPEC. Much of his research has focused on improving survival rates for peritoneal patients using this treatment.[5]
Jill Ohar, M.D.
Dr. Ohar is a pulmonologist and critical care expert. She specializes in treating patients with occupational lung conditions, including pleural mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure. Her extensive research has included studies involving mesothelioma patients, including genetic research and improving survival rates.[6]
Additional Mesothelioma Specialists in North Carolina
- Scott Joseph Antonia, M.D., medical oncologist, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham
- Dan G. Blazer III, M.D., surgical oncologist, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham
- Jeffrey Clarke, M.D., medical oncologist, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham
- Jeremiah Deneve, D.O., surgical oncologist, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill
- Elizabeth M. Gleeson, M.D., surgical oncologist, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill
- Carrie B. Lee, M.D., thoracic oncologist, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill
- Eric Luk, M.D., medical oncologist, Messino Cancer Center, Asheville
- Chad V. Pecot, M.D., thoracic oncologist, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill
- William Jeffrey Petty, M.D., medical oncologist and hematologist, Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem
- Perry Shen, M.D., surgical oncologist, Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem
- Thomas E. Stinchcombe, M.D., medical oncologist, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham
- Betty C. Tong, M.D., surgical oncologist, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham
- Konstantinos Votanopoulos, M.D., surgical oncologist, Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem
- Jared Weiss, M.D., thoracic oncologist, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill
Mesothelioma Clinical Trials in North Carolina
If you qualify for a clinical trial, you could benefit from a novel treatment not generally available. These studies investigate new treatments and work with real patients to determine safety and effectiveness. There are risks and rewards, so talk to your doctors about participating. Some of the clinical trials currently recruiting mesothelioma patients in North Carolina include:
- Testing the Addition of Immunotherapy Before Surgery for Patients With Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma. Patients with sarcomatoid mesothelioma may qualify for this study using immunotherapy before surgery. It is a phase II trial to study the safety and effectiveness of the new therapeutic strategy.[7]
- A Study of SGN-BB228 in Advanced Melanoma and Other Solid Tumors. This is a study of a new medication for various types of solid tumors. Conducted in three parts, researchers are initially trying to determine an appropriate dose. Patients with mesothelioma may qualify.[8]
- A Safety and Efficacy Study Evaluating CTX131 in Adult Subjects With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors. This is a phase I and II study of a new medication. Researchers are recruiting patients with solid tumors who have either relapsed after treatment or are not responding well to treatment.[9]
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and live in North Carolina, treatment experts are close to home. Turn to the specialists at these top-notch cancer centers in the state for the best care for this terrible disease.
