VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts
The VA Boston Healthcare System in Boston, Massachusetts is a leading center treatment resource and recognized Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Center for America’s military veterans. It treats approximately 300 cancer patients each month,[1] many of whom are veterans who were exposed to asbestos during the time of their military service and who have subsequently been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma or lung cancer. Many veterans with these challenging illnesses are referred to the VA Boston Healthcare System become of the expertise of its staff and the innovative technologies that it can offer.
The VA Boston Healthcare System is made up of several satellite facilities, with three main campuses located in Boston, Brockton, and West Roxbury. It has well-established affiliations with some of the country’s most noted medical institutions and is also actively involved in researching innovative treatments.[1]
Pleural Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Care at VA Boston Healthcare System
Military veterans diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma or lung cancer can receive state-of-the-art treatment at VA Boston Healthcare System. Services include surgical removal of tumors and other cancerous tissue using both traditional open surgical techniques and minimally invasive robotic procedures; immunotherapy to help the body’s natural defense system destroy cancer cells; chemotherapy to kill cancer cells; and radiation therapy, which uses high-dose radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. The VA also offers patients palliative care to help them manage their pain and other adverse effects of treatment.[1]
Notable Staff and Mesothelioma Specialists
In addition to its staff of medical oncologists and diagnosticians who provide expert diagnosis and medical care of patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer, the VA Boston Healthcare System benefits from the expertise of several noted thoracic surgeons. The Chief of Thoracic Surgery is Dr. Daniel Wiener, who also serves as an Associate Residency Program Director at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and as an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Wiener’s colleagues include Dr. Fatima Wilder, an associate surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital with expertise in the use of robotic techniques to treat lung cancer, esophageal cancer, chest wall, and mediastinal diseases, and airway tumors; and Dr. John Young, the surgical director of the VA Boston Lung Transplant Program and an instructor at Harvard Medical School.[2]
