{"id":860,"date":"2020-04-17T13:39:35","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T17:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/?page_id=860"},"modified":"2025-09-26T18:42:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T22:42:25","slug":"dr-james-pingpank","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/treatment\/doctors\/dr-james-pingpank\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. James Pingpank"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 id=\"about\">About Dr. James Pingpank<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Peritoneal mesothelioma surgeon<\/li>\n<li>10+ years of experience treating cancer with HIPEC<\/li>\n<li>Regularly featured speaker at the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Dr. James Pingpank is an internationally recognized surgical oncologist and expert in gastrointestinal diseases. He has treated many patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma throughout his decades-long career.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to serving as director of the Gastrointestinal Surgery Division at the <a href=\"\/cancer-centers\/university-of-pittsburgh-medical-center\/\">University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)<\/a>, Dr. Pingpank is also a professor of surgery at the university\u2019s medical school.<\/p>\n<p>He is board-certified in general surgery and specializes in minimally invasive, laparoscopic, and robotic surgical techniques.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI take a collaborative approach and work closely with referring physicians throughout the community to provide a seamless transition of care from pre-operative, to surgery, to post-operative.\u201d<em><br \/>\n<\/em><strong>\u2013 Dr. James Pingpank, peritoneal mesothelioma specialist<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A highly respected figure in the cancer research community, Dr. Pingpank is actively involved in <a href=\"\/treatment\/clinical-trials\/\">clinical trials<\/a> testing new treatments. He has authored over 100 scientific articles, book chapters and abstracts, and has spoken at several national and international events.<\/p>\n<p>Download our <strong>Free Questions to Ask Your Doctor Checklist<\/strong> before meeting with Dr. Pingpank or any mesothelioma specialist to get the answers you need.<\/p>\n<div data-vqueid=\"18575\" class=\"widget widget_oscar-vque outline image-left has-img\"><style type=\"text\/css\" data-style=\"outline\">.widget_oscar-vque.outline{margin:60px auto;max-width:315px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline:first-child{margin-top:0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a{border:1px solid #E6E7EC;padding:20px;box-shadow:0 20px 20px rgba(34,34,34,0.03);border-radius:10px;color:#383441;display:block;text-decoration:none}.widget_oscar-vque.outline img{margin:0 auto 20px;max-width:180px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline .vque-content{color:#383441;font-size:16px;text-align:center}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.subheading{color:#100134;display:block;line-height:1;font-size:14px;margin-bottom:5px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.heading{color:#100134;font-size:20px;display:block;margin:0 0 20px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul{font-size:16px;text-align:left;list-style:none;max-width:265px;margin:15px auto 25px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul li{padding-left:28px;margin-bottom:10px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul li:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul li:before{font-family:\"mesohope\" !important;font-display:swap;speak:none;color:#fff;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-transform:none;line-height:1;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;content:\"\\e904\";border:none;position:absolute;left:0;top:3px;background:#0FAEBF;width:20px;height:20px;border-radius:20px;line-height:20px;text-align:center;font-size:12px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.button.arrow{width:100%}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a{position:relative;border-radius:0 10px 10px 0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a:before{content:\" \";position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;width:4px;height:100%;left:0;background:linear-gradient(180deg, #0FAEBF 0%, #fff 100%)}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.widget_oscar-vque.outline{max-width:620px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline img{max-width:100%}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a{padding:0}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a>div{display:block;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:flex-end;flex-direction:row-reverse}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a>div>div{width:41%}.widget_oscar-vque.outline>a .vque-content{width:59%;padding:30px;text-align:left}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.subheading{font-size:16px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.heading{font-size:24px;margin:0 0 13px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline ul{max-width:none}.widget_oscar-vque.outline strong.button.arrow{width:auto}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a>div{display:block;position:relative;overflow:hidden}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a>div>div{float:left}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a>div>div:first-child{width:27%;padding:30px}.widget_oscar-vque.outline.image-left>a>div>div.vque-content{width:73%;padding-left:0;color:#383441}}<\/style><a href=\"\/doctor-questions\/\" title=\"Free Download: 14 Questions to Ask\u00a0Your Doctor\" class=\"cte\" data-ce-category=\"In-Content Ads\" data-ce-label=\"Free Download: 14 Questions to Ask\u00a0Your Doctor Ad\" data-desktop-image=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/questions-to-ask-doctor-ipad.png\"><div><div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"95\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/questions-to-ask-doctor-ipad.png\" class=\"attachment-Medium size-Medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"14 Questions to Ask Your Doctor packet\" \/><\/div><div class=\"vque-content\"><strong class=\"heading\">Free Download: 14 Questions to Ask\u00a0Your Doctor<\/strong><ul>\n<li>Preparing for treatment<\/li>\n<li>Finding clinical trials<\/li>\n<li>Getting a second opinion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong class=\"button yellow arrow\" title=\"Get Your Free Download\">Get Your Free Download<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"background\">Dr. Pingpank\u2019s Background<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Pingpank received his medical degree from The George Washington University in 1992.<\/p>\n<p>He completed his surgical residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and a fellowship in surgical oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.<\/p>\n<p>Before joining UPMC as a surgical oncologist in 2008, Dr. Pingpank was a research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<h3>Awards &amp; Honors<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<ul class='columns-2'>\n<li>American Cancer Society Distinguished Service Award<\/li>\n<li>American College of Surgeons Outstanding Cancer Researcher Award<\/li>\n<li>Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor<\/li>\n<li>Compassionate Doctor Recognition<\/li>\n<li>National Cancer Institute Director\u2019s Award<\/li>\n<li>Patient\u2019s Choice Award<\/li>\n<li>Technology Transfer Award<\/li>\n<li>The Vital\u2019s On-Time Doctor Award<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n<h3>Professional Affiliations<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>American Association for Cancer Research (Member)<\/li>\n<li>American College of Surgeons (Fellow)<\/li>\n<li>American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (Member)<\/li>\n<li>American Society of Clinical Oncology (Member)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Recent Publications<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Kowalsky, Stacy, et al. (2021). Omission of right hemicolectomy may be safe for some appendiceal goblet cell adenocarcinomas: a survival analysis of the National Cancer Database.<\/li>\n<li>Mercier, Frederic, et al. (2022). An international registry of peritoneal carcinomatosis from appendiceal goblet cell carcinoma treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. World Journal of Surgery.<\/li>\n<li>Najjar, Yana G., et al. (2022). Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab and high-dose IFN\u03b1-2b in resectable regionally advanced melanoma. Clinical Cancer Research.<\/li>\n<li>Rieser, Caroline, et al. (2022). ASO visual abstract: socioeconomic barriers to CRS HIPEC for appendiceal cancer within a regional academic hospital system. Annals of Surgical Oncology.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Use our<strong> Free Doctor Match<\/strong> to find other top specialists like Dr. Pingpank who treat peritoneal mesothelioma.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><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><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"specializations\">Dr. James Pingpank&#8217;s Medical Specializations<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Pingpank specializes in treating peritoneal mesothelioma. This type of cancer is caused when <a href=\"\/asbestos\/\">asbestos fibers<\/a> become lodged in the peritoneum \u2014 the lining that covers the abdomen.<\/p>\n<h3>Peritoneal Mesothelioma<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"\/mesothelioma\/peritoneal\/\">Peritoneal mesothelioma<\/a> is the second most common form of mesothelioma after pleural mesothelioma.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma typically include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Abdominal pain<\/li>\n<li>Bloating<\/li>\n<li>Nausea<\/li>\n<li>Vomiting<\/li>\n<li>Weight loss<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Additionally, patients may experience a feeling of fullness after eating or drinking.<\/p>\n<p>The most effective treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma is cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC.<\/p>\n<h3>Cytoreductive Surgery With HIPEC<\/h3>\n<p>Dr. Pingpank has specific expertise in performing <a href=\"\/treatment\/surgery\/cytoreduction-hipec\/\">cytoreduction surgery with HIPEC<\/a> on peritoneal mesothelioma patients.<\/p>\n<p>During the cytoreduction portion of the procedure, he removes as many visible tumors as possible from the abdominal cavity.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Pingpank then fills the patient\u2019s abdominal cavity with a warmed chemotherapy solution (HIPEC) to kill the remaining tumors. After about 60 to 90 minutes, the abdominal cavity is drained and rinsed.<\/p>\n<p>One benefit of applying <a href=\"\/treatment\/chemotherapy\/\">mesothelioma chemotherapy<\/a> this way is the drugs are administered directly to the affected area without having to travel through the bloodstream. This means that doctors can use a higher dosage than usual, which makes the procedure more effective.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cWe think that durable control of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is possible for patients undergoing aggressive surgical therapy.\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>\u2013 Dr. James Pingpank, peritoneal mesothelioma specialist<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our <strong>Free Mesothelioma Guide<\/strong>, learn about cytoreduction with HIPEC and other treatments that may improve your prognosis.<\/span><\/p>\n<div data-vqueid=\"1361\" class=\"widget widget_oscar-vque default image-right has-img\"><style type=\"text\/css\" data-style=\"default\">.widget_oscar-vque.default{margin:60px auto;max-width:315px}.widget_oscar-vque.default:first-child{margin-top:0}.widget_oscar-vque.default:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.widget_oscar-vque.default>a{background:#2F293D;display:block;padding:20px;border-radius:10px;color:#fff;text-decoration:none}.widget_oscar-vque.default img{margin:0 auto 20px;max-width:150px;width:100%}.widget_oscar-vque.default .vque-content{font-size:16px;text-align:center}.widget_oscar-vque.default strong.subheading{display:block;line-height:1;font-size:14px;margin-bottom:5px}.widget_oscar-vque.default strong.heading{font-size:20px;display:block;margin:0 0 25px}.widget_oscar-vque.default ul{font-size:16px;text-align:left;list-style:none;max-width:265px;line-height:1.4;margin:15px auto 25px}.widget_oscar-vque.default ul li{padding-left:28px;margin-bottom:10px}.widget_oscar-vque.default ul li:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.widget_oscar-vque.default ul li:before{font-family:\"mesohope\" !important;font-display:swap;speak:none;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-variant:normal;text-transform:none;line-height:1;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;-moz-osx-font-smoothing:grayscale;content:\"\\e904\";border:none;position:absolute;left:0;top:0;background:#0FAEBF;width:20px;height:20px;border-radius:20px;line-height:20px;text-align:center;font-size:12px}.widget_oscar-vque.default strong.button.arrow{width:100%}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.widget_oscar-vque.default{max-width:620px}.widget_oscar-vque.default>a{padding:0}.widget_oscar-vque.default>a>div{display:block;display:flex;align-items:center;flex-wrap:wrap;flex-direction:row-reverse}.widget_oscar-vque.default>a>div>div{padding:0 25px 0 0;width:41%}.widget_oscar-vque.default>a .vque-content{width:59%;padding:30px;text-align:left}.widget_oscar-vque.default img{max-width:90%;margin-bottom:0}.widget_oscar-vque.default strong.subheading{font-size:16px}.widget_oscar-vque.default strong.heading{font-size:24px;margin:0 0 16px}.widget_oscar-vque.default ul{max-width:none}.widget_oscar-vque.default strong.button.arrow{width:auto}.widget_oscar-vque.default.image-left>a>div{display:block;position:relative;overflow:hidden}.widget_oscar-vque.default.image-left>a>div img{max-width:100%}.widget_oscar-vque.default.image-left>a>div>div{float:left}.widget_oscar-vque.default.image-left>a>div>div:first-child{width:27%;padding:30px}.widget_oscar-vque.default.image-left>a>div>div.vque-content{width:73%;padding-left:0}}<\/style><a href=\"\/mesothelioma-guide\/\" title=\"Get Your Free 2026 Mesothelioma Guide\" class=\"cte\" data-ce-category=\"In-Content Ads\" data-ce-label=\"Get Your Free 2026 Mesothelioma Guide Ad\" data-desktop-image=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/guide-image-vertical.png\"><div><div><div class=\"image-fade\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"296\" height=\"290\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/guide-image-vertical.png\" class=\"attachment-Medium size-Medium wp-post-image\" alt=\"Mesothelioma Guide Images\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/guide-image-vertical.png 296w, https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/guide-image-vertical-55x55.png 55w, https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/guide-image-vertical-102x100.png 102w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"vque-content\"><strong class=\"heading\">Get Your Free 2026 Mesothelioma Guide<\/strong><ul>\n<li>Symptoms &amp; staging<\/li>\n<li>Average prognosis<\/li>\n<li>Life-extending treatments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong class=\"button arrow\" title=\"Get Your Free Guide\">Get Your Free Guide<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"working\">Working With Dr. Pingpank<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Pingpank is committed to providing his patients with the highest quality of care and helping them live their best lives. He is an inspiring leader in gastrointestinal oncology and is devoted to advancing the science and practice of cancer care.<\/p>\n<p>He spends time with each patient to listen to their concerns, answer questions, and thoroughly explain their <a href=\"\/treatment\/\">treatment options<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Contact our team today if you want more information about working with Dr. Pingpank or another peritoneal mesothelioma specialist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About Dr. James Pingpank Peritoneal mesothelioma surgeon 10+ years of experience treating cancer with HIPEC Regularly featured speaker at the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma Dr. James Pingpank is an internationally recognized surgical oncologist and expert in gastrointestinal diseases. He has treated many patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma throughout his decades-long career. In addition to&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":21444,"parent":49,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/template-doctor.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-860","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/860","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=860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/860\/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\/21444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}