Dr. David Sugarbaker, internationally recognized as one of the most prolific mesothelioma doctors in the world, has died at the age of 65. It\u2019s difficult to put into context the impact that Dr. Sugarbaker had throughout his career, which he dedicated to treating patients with pleural mesothelioma. Known colloquially among his peers and patients as \u2018Mr. Mesothelioma\u2019, Dr. Sugarbaker devoted his profession to tackling new procedures for mesothelioma patients.<\/p>\n
Born in Jefferson City, Missouri, Dr. Sugarbaker was virtually destined for the field of medicine, being the son of a surgical oncologist and a nurse. As a young adult, Dr. Sugarbaker assisted his father in the operating room. Being mentored by his father, Dr. Sugarbaker developed a keen interest in surgical oncology.<\/p>\n
His brother, Dr. Paul Sugarbaker<\/a>, was also heavily influenced by his family\u2019s background. Paul served as Chief of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program at the Washington Hospital Center until his retirement in 2021.<\/p>\n Dr. David Sugarbaker studied at Wheaton College and the Cornell University Medical College, graduating in 1979. He then participated in surgical residencies at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital (BWH)<\/a>, Boston, and Toronto General Hospital. In 1988, Dr. Sugarbaker began focusing his career on the treatment of pleural mesothelioma<\/a>, an aggressive form of cancer many oncologists will never come across in their careers.<\/p>\n After completing his residencies, Dr. Sugarbaker became Chief of Surgery at BWH. His work there is well-recognized in the medical community, as Dr. Sugarbaker developed the first non-cardiac thoracic surgery division in the country.<\/p>\n Another major accomplishment at BWH was Dr. Sugarbaker\u2019s initiative in developing the first comprehensive tissue and blood repository, which is now an integral program for collaborative oncological research. While at BWH, Dr. Sugarbaker also began an instructing position as Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School.<\/p>\n Over the past 30 years, he has helped countless families cope with the debilitating disease and worked to improve mortality rates through his advanced treatments. Having built up BWH\u2019s mesothelioma program to a world-class facility, Dr. Sugarbaker left the cancer center in 2014 to take his leadership, skills, and knowledge to Texas, where he was a critical player in developing the Baylor Lung Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over the course of his career, Dr. Sugarbaker developed certain mesothelioma specialties \u2014 even contributing to establishing a mesothelioma staging system while at BWH, called the Brigham and Women\u2019s Staging System.<\/p>\n In this Brigham and Women\u2019s mesothelioma staging<\/a> criteria, stage 1 and 2 patients are deemed eligible for resectable pleural mesothelioma surgeries, a specialty that Dr. Sugarbaker became well-known for.<\/p>\n Dr. Sugarbaker specialized in treating stage 1 and 2 pleural mesothelioma patients.<\/p>\n As the developer of the curative surgical procedure, extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP)<\/a>, Dr. Sugarbaker was known for aggressively treating early-stage pleural mesothelioma patients and using a multimodal approach<\/a> to eliminate cancer and send the disease into remission.<\/p>\n “We can help patients even more now, and that\u2019s exciting to me.”<\/em><\/p>\n \u2013 Dr. David Sugarbaker<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>Education<\/h3>\n
Career Accomplishments<\/h3>\n
\nIn 2002 he founded the International Mesothelioma Program, an organization with the goal of finding a cure for pleural mesothelioma<\/a>. To this day the program attracts patients from all around the world who are willing to take part in clinical trials<\/a> to improve the field of study for future generations.<\/p>\nDr. Sugarbaker\u2019s Medical Specializations<\/h2>\n
Pleural Mesothelioma<\/h3>\n