{"id":145,"date":"2017-05-08T22:25:58","date_gmt":"2017-05-09T02:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/?page_id=145"},"modified":"2025-12-22T14:09:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T19:09:16","slug":"dr-paul-sugarbaker","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/treatment\/doctors\/dr-paul-sugarbaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Paul Sugarbaker"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 id=\"career-highlights\">Dr. Paul Sugarbaker\u2019s Career Highlights<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Considered one of the world\u2019s top authorities on mesothelioma<\/li>\n<li>Invented the \u201cSugarbaker Procedure\u201d to treat peritoneal mesothelioma<\/li>\n<li>Former Director of Gastrointestinal Malignancies at MedStar Washington Hospital Center<\/li>\n<li>Published more than 1,000 articles and book chapters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Since his initial discovery of mesothelioma while operating on a patient, Dr. Sugarbaker decided to\u00a0dedicate the rest of his career to refining the technique in an attempt to find the perfect treatment for all <a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/peritoneal\/\">peritoneal mesothelioma<\/a> patients.<\/p>\n<p>He has been known as a \u201clast hope\u201d for late-stage peritoneal mesothelioma patients because of his willingness to treat patients who have been turned away by other surgeons.<\/p>\n<p>Although Dr. Sugarbaker is not currently accepting new patients, his influence is far-reaching \u2014 and many other top specialists in the field have benefitted from and continue to expand on his research. Connect with one of these mesothelioma specialists near you with our <strong>Free Doctor Match<\/strong> service.<\/p>\n<div id=\"25223\" class=\"one-off-25223 widget widget_oscar-vque one-off\" data-vqueid=\"25223\"><style type=\"text\/css\" data-style=\"one-off\">.one-off-25223{margin:60px auto}.one-off-25223 a{box-shadow:0 4px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.25);display:block;background:#e4f4f6;padding:20px 25px 200px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;position:relative;overflow:hidden;max-width:360px;margin:0 auto}.one-off-25223 a::before{background:#0FAEBF;border-radius:50% 50% 0 0;content:'';position:absolute;bottom:0;height:19%;width:135%;left:-60px;z-index:0}.one-off-25223 .vque-content,.one-off-25223 .image-wrap{z-index:1;position:relative}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap{width:100%;position:absolute;left:-10px;bottom:-15px}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap img{position:absolute;bottom:0;width:100%;max-width:unset;left:0}.one-off-25223 .heading{font-size:27px;line-height:33px;text-align:center;display:block;max-width:340px;margin:5px auto 25px}.one-off-25223 ul{list-style:none;margin:-10px auto 22px;text-align:left;font-size:16px;line-height:26px}.one-off-25223 ul li{margin:0 0 15px;position:relative;padding-left:35px}.one-off-25223 ul li::before{font-family:\"mesohope\"!important;speak:none;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-transform:none;line-height:1;content:\"\\e904\";background:#0FAEBF;width:21px;height:21px;display:block;position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;border-radius:50%;color:#fff;font-size:11px;text-align:center;line-height:21px}.one-off-25223 p{text-align:center}.one-off-25223 .button{padding:12px 16px;display:block}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.one-off-25223 a{max-width:620px;padding:30px 30px 35px;border-radius:0 0 4px 4px}.one-off-25223 a::before{border-radius:50%;height:155%;width:150%;right:-550px;left:unset;bottom:-295px}.one-off-25223 .heading{text-align:left;margin:2px 0 25px;max-width:unset;font-size:24px}.one-off-25223 ul{margin:-7px 0 30px;max-width:365px;line-height:23px}.one-off-25223 ul li::before{top:1px}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap{max-width:unset;position:absolute;right:-25px;bottom:-35px;margin:0 0 -2px;left:unset;width:380px}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap img{position:relative;bottom:0;left:0;width:380px}.one-off-25223 .button{display:inline-block;padding:14px 25px}.one-off-25223 p{text-align:left}}@media screen and (min-width:1150px){.one-off-25223 a{padding:30px}}<\/style><a href=\"\/get-matched\/\" title=\"Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor\" class=\"cte\" data-ce-category=\"In-Content Ads\" data-ce-label=\"Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor Ad\"><div>\r\n    <div class=\"vque-content\">\r\n        <strong class=\"heading\">Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor<\/strong>\r\n        <ul>\r\n            <li>Find top specialists near you<\/li>\r\n            <li>Seek compensation for travel & care<\/li>\r\n            <li>Get medical guidance<\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n        <p><strong class=\"button arrow\" title=\"Get Matched Now\">Get Matched Now<\/strong><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Doctors-ad.png\" alt=\"Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor\" class=\"lazyload\" ><\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Dr. Paul Sugarbaker\u2019s Background<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Paul Sugarbaker earned his doctoral degree from Cornell University Medical College in New York before completing a surgical residency at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, now known as <a href=\"\/cancer-centers\/brigham-womens-hospital\/\">Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital<\/a>, in Boston. He also holds a master&#8217;s degree in immunology from the Harvard School of Arts and Science.<\/p>\n<p>In 1976, Dr. Sugarbaker began working at the surgery branch of the National Cancer Institute as a senior investigator. He remained in this position for the next decade, gaining invaluable cancer research experience while working as a senior surgeon.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Sugarbaker worked at the Emory Clinic in Atlanta for a short while, and eventually moved into his Medical Director position at the Washington Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 1989.<\/p>\n<p>In 1993, Dr. Sugarbaker became Chief of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancy program at the Washington Hospital Center and Director of its Center for Gastrointestinal Malignancies.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Sugarbaker is the brother of <a href=\"\/treatment\/doctors\/dr-david-sugarbaker\/\">the late Dr. David Sugarbaker<\/a>, a renowned pleural mesothelioma specialist.<\/p>\n<h3>Medical Specializations<\/h3>\n<p>Dr. Sugarbaker is a retired surgical oncologist who specialized in rare malignancies and cancers, including mesothelioma, colorectal cancer, appendiceal cancer, and pseudomyxoma peritonei.<\/p>\n<p>He is a talented gastrointestinal surgeon and is best known for his work treating peritoneal mesothelioma with cytoreductive surgery and heated chemotherapy.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside his career in the field of surgical oncology,\u00a0Dr. Sugarbaker was a cancer researcher and\u00a0primary investigator at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, overseeing the hospital\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/treatment\/clinical-trials\/\">clinical trials<\/a> and research initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>All of his research focused on peritoneal metastases, which are cancers that spread on the surface of the abdominal cavity and include mesothelioma.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Sugarbaker was board certified in general surgery.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"career-accomplishments\">Dr. Paul Sugarbaker\u2019s Career Accomplishments<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Sugarbaker led an extraordinary career with a strong paper trail to prove it. In addition to more than 1,000 published articles and book chapters, he has edited seven books and created two dozen videos. His professional work has taken him to five continents, and he has received four honorary professorships.<\/p>\n<p>As an internationally recognized physician, Dr. Sugarbaker is best known for his contributions to the treatment of mesothelioma and other abdominal conditions.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, he is world famous for the development of the \u201cSugarbaker Procedure,\u201d a treatment protocol that combines <a href=\"\/treatment\/surgery\/cytoreduction-hipec\/\">cytoreduction surgery with perthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)<\/a>, also known as heated chemotherapy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHeated drugs can be augmented in their activity from 20% to 30% up to 1,000%,&#8221; explained Dr. Sugarbaker. &#8220;We try to use the more heat-augmented drugs, like mitomycin, cisplatin, and doxorubicin. We use those in the peritoneal cavity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This protocol has <strong>extended the lives of cancer patients all over the globe<\/strong>\u00a0and was a massive step forward in treating cancers that infect thoracic tissues.<\/p>\n<h3>Awards &amp; Honors<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<ul class='columns-2'>\n<li>ACS Fellow<\/li>\n<li>America\u2019s Top Doctors<\/li>\n<li>America\u2019s Top Doctors for Cancer<\/li>\n<li>Compassionate Doctors<\/li>\n<li>Distinguished Service Award (American Society of Abdominal Surgeons)<\/li>\n<li>Doctor Honoris Causa at the Universite de Liege<\/li>\n<li>E. T. Krementz Award for Best Research Development<\/li>\n<li>Honorary Professor at Universidad Nacional de Cordoba in Argentina<\/li>\n<li>Merium Ann Simone Distinguished Service Award (International Spirit of Life Foundation)<\/li>\n<li>Top Doctors: Washington-Baltimore<\/li>\n<li>Top Doctors: Washington DC Area<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n<h2>Dr. Paul Sugarbaker\u2019s Legacy<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Paul Sugarbaker held several titles before his retirement, including Director of the Center of Gastrointestinal Malignancies and the Chief of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. He previously managed his private practice, Sugarbaker Oncology, at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to treating patients, Dr. Sugarbaker continually searched for ways to improve the Sugarbaker Procedure in order to produce optimal results for all patients. He believed that there is a cure for cancers like mesothelioma and maintained his lifelong quest to discover it.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI think [mesothelioma] can be cured. I\u2019m convinced it can be cured. There will be a cure.\u201d<em><br \/>\n<\/em><strong>\u2014Dr. Paul Sugarbaker<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote><style type=\"text\/css\">blockquote{margin:40px 0;padding:0px 15px 0px 60px;position:relative;background-color:#fff}blockquote:before{content:\"\\e99d\";color:#fff;background-color:#0FAEBF;font-size:30px;font-family:\"mesohope\" !important;position:absolute;left:0;top:0;width:50px;height:50px;line-height:50px;text-align:center;border-radius:50%}blockquote p{margin:0}blockquote footer cite{font-size:inherit;line-height:26px;font-style:normal}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){blockquote{padding:0px 90px 0px 85px}blockquote:before{font-size:35px;width:60px;height:60px;line-height:60px;left:0}}<\/style>\n<p>Dr. Sugarbaker\u2019s research spans a number of abdominal cancers with a prominent focus on peritoneal mesothelioma. He was also interested in carcinomatosis, studying the way that cancer spreads to secondary locations in the body, especially in large regions.<\/p>\n<p>As of July 2025, he&#8217;s the chair of the Peritoneal Surface Oncology Group International (PSOGI), showing his continuing commitment to helping cancer patients.<\/p>\n<div id=\"25223\" class=\"one-off-25223 widget widget_oscar-vque one-off\" data-vqueid=\"25223\"><style type=\"text\/css\" data-style=\"one-off\">.one-off-25223{margin:60px auto}.one-off-25223 a{box-shadow:0 4px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.25);display:block;background:#e4f4f6;padding:20px 25px 200px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;position:relative;overflow:hidden;max-width:360px;margin:0 auto}.one-off-25223 a::before{background:#0FAEBF;border-radius:50% 50% 0 0;content:'';position:absolute;bottom:0;height:19%;width:135%;left:-60px;z-index:0}.one-off-25223 .vque-content,.one-off-25223 .image-wrap{z-index:1;position:relative}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap{width:100%;position:absolute;left:-10px;bottom:-15px}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap img{position:absolute;bottom:0;width:100%;max-width:unset;left:0}.one-off-25223 .heading{font-size:27px;line-height:33px;text-align:center;display:block;max-width:340px;margin:5px auto 25px}.one-off-25223 ul{list-style:none;margin:-10px auto 22px;text-align:left;font-size:16px;line-height:26px}.one-off-25223 ul li{margin:0 0 15px;position:relative;padding-left:35px}.one-off-25223 ul li::before{font-family:\"mesohope\"!important;speak:none;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-transform:none;line-height:1;content:\"\\e904\";background:#0FAEBF;width:21px;height:21px;display:block;position:absolute;left:0;top:4px;border-radius:50%;color:#fff;font-size:11px;text-align:center;line-height:21px}.one-off-25223 p{text-align:center}.one-off-25223 .button{padding:12px 16px;display:block}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.one-off-25223 a{max-width:620px;padding:30px 30px 35px;border-radius:0 0 4px 4px}.one-off-25223 a::before{border-radius:50%;height:155%;width:150%;right:-550px;left:unset;bottom:-295px}.one-off-25223 .heading{text-align:left;margin:2px 0 25px;max-width:unset;font-size:24px}.one-off-25223 ul{margin:-7px 0 30px;max-width:365px;line-height:23px}.one-off-25223 ul li::before{top:1px}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap{max-width:unset;position:absolute;right:-25px;bottom:-35px;margin:0 0 -2px;left:unset;width:380px}.one-off-25223 .image-wrap img{position:relative;bottom:0;left:0;width:380px}.one-off-25223 .button{display:inline-block;padding:14px 25px}.one-off-25223 p{text-align:left}}@media screen and (min-width:1150px){.one-off-25223 a{padding:30px}}<\/style><a href=\"\/get-matched\/\" title=\"Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor\" class=\"cte\" data-ce-category=\"In-Content Ads\" data-ce-label=\"Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor Ad\"><div>\r\n    <div class=\"vque-content\">\r\n        <strong class=\"heading\">Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor<\/strong>\r\n        <ul>\r\n            <li>Find top specialists near you<\/li>\r\n            <li>Seek compensation for travel & care<\/li>\r\n            <li>Get medical guidance<\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n        <p><strong class=\"button arrow\" title=\"Get Matched Now\">Get Matched Now<\/strong><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Doctors-ad.png\" alt=\"Get Matched With a Mesothelioma Doctor\" class=\"lazyload\" ><\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"notable-work\">Notable Work by Dr. Paul Sugarbaker<\/h2>\n<p>In his attempt to refine the Sugarbaker Procedure and find a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/treatment\/cure\/\">cure for epithelial peritoneal mesothelioma<\/a>, Dr. Sugarbaker researched the effectiveness of three different protocols. His study reviewed the survival rates of 129 patients, evaluating each protocol to determine the best treatment option for mesothelioma patients.<\/p>\n<p>Each protocol begins with cytoreductive surgery, where as much visible tumor is removed as possible.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For the first protocol, cytoreductive surgery was immediately\u00a0followed by heated chemotherapy (HIPEC).<\/li>\n<li>In the second protocol, early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EPIC) was added for 5 days after the HIPEC procedure. With EPIC, additional chemotherapy is applied to the abdomen, essentially extending the localized chemo treatment.<\/li>\n<li>For the third protocol, HIPEC and EPIC were followed by <a href=\"\/treatment\/chemotherapy\/nipec\/\">NIPEC<\/a>, a regional chemotherapy that is delivered locally through a port in the abdomen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While the study noted that the combination of HIPEC and EPIC was not significantly more effective than HIPEC alone, the survival rates greatly increased when the protocol including NIPEC was used.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout-shortcode\"><style type=\"text\/css\">.callout-shortcode{background:#EDF8F9;border-radius:0 10px 10px 0;padding:20px 20px 20px 24px;margin:40px 0;max-width:860px;position:relative}.callout-shortcode:before{content:\" \";position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;width:4px;height:100%;left:0;background:linear-gradient(180deg, #0FAEBF 0%, #EDF8F9 100%)}.callout-shortcode .callout-shortcode-heading{color:#100134;font-size:22px;display:block;margin:0 0 15px}.callout-shortcode:first-child{margin-top:0}.callout-shortcode:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.callout-shortcode .img-wrap{margin-bottom:20px}.callout-shortcode.hope>strong{padding-top:17px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:74px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap{left:22px;position:absolute;top:20px;width:59px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap:before{background:#fff url(\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/mh-icon-65.png);background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:70%;border-radius:30px;bottom:-10px;content:\"\";display:block;height:30px;position:absolute;right:-10px;width:30px}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.callout-shortcode{padding:25px 25px 25px 34px}.callout-shortcode .callout-shortcode-heading{font-size:24px}.callout-shortcode .img-wrap{margin-bottom:0}.callout-shortcode.has-img{min-height:170px;padding-left:175px}.callout-shortcode.has-img .img-wrap{position:absolute;left:29px;top:25px;width:119px}.callout-shortcode.hope.has-img{padding-left:170px}.callout-shortcode.hope>strong{padding:0}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap{width:109px}.callout-shortcode.hope .img-wrap:before{background-size:66%;bottom:-15px;height:42px;width:42px}}<\/style><div class=\"content\"><p> <strong>Approximately 50% of patients lived for 5 years after HIPEC and EPIC, and 75% of patients who received additional NIPEC were alive after 10 years.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>This increase in survival rates is extraordinarily promising for mesothelioma patients, as it suggests that mesothelioma may not be a fatal disease for some patients. In fact, survival rates of mesothelioma patients are likely to continue to increase as time goes on and cancer research continues.<\/p>\n<h2>Dr. Paul Sugarbaker\u2019s Healing Philosophy<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Paul Sugarbaker aggressively pursued a cure for peritoneal conditions, including mesothelioma, and he is known for taking risks that could potentially extend patients\u2019 lives. In fact, the HIPEC procedure was initially deemed highly controversial because of its intense postoperative nature.<\/p>\n<p>Two decades later, it has become a fairly common <a href=\"\/treatment\/\">treatment for mesothelioma<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"connect\">Connect With Other Top Specialists<\/h2>\n<p>Although Dr. Paul Sugarbaker is no longer accepting new patients, we can help you connect with other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/treatment\/doctors\/\">top mesothelioma doctors<\/a>\u00a0who provide life-extending treatment for patients around the country.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/get-matched\/\"><b>Use our\u00a0Free Doctor Match right now <\/b><\/a>to begin your treatment journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Paul Sugarbaker\u2019s Career Highlights Considered one of the world\u2019s top authorities on mesothelioma Invented the \u201cSugarbaker Procedure\u201d to treat peritoneal mesothelioma Former Director of Gastrointestinal Malignancies at MedStar Washington Hospital Center Published more than 1,000 articles and book chapters Since his initial discovery of mesothelioma while operating on a patient, Dr. Sugarbaker decided to\u00a0dedicate&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":18313,"parent":49,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/template-doctor.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-145","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/145\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/49"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}