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Chief, Thoracic Surgery
Associate Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology
Director, Thoracic Oncology Fellowship Training Program
Esophageal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Neuroendocrine Tumors, Endobronchial Disease, GIST (Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor), Mesothelioma, GERD & Barrett's Esophagus, Lung Metastases, Thymoma
I joined the Fox Chase Cancer Center family in 2011 because it is the region's only hospital devoted solely to cancer treatment and dedicated to cutting-edge research. I am a thoracic surgical oncologist who specializes in surgical treatment of esophageal diseases and cancers in the chest, as well as in the complex benign chest wall. In addition to performing traditional open surgical procedures, I have special interests in minimally invasive thoracic surgical approaches.
Fox Chase Cancer Center is committed to improving cancer treatments and the quality of life for patients with lung and esophageal cancer. A team approach to cancer care is accomplished through a multidisciplinary team of doctors who work together to guide each patient through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Using this approach, the treatment plans reflect the combined expertise of many specialized doctors—thoracic surgeon, medical oncologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists and pathologists. This unified approach also ensures that patients who need several different therapies to treat their cancer will receive the ideal care, and provides comprehensive and coordinated care. In addition, through the latest research, clinicians and scientists collaborate to discover more effective therapies for lung and esophageal cancers. Translational research brings new knowledge and treatments from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside as quickly as possible.
I will be one of the first Fox Chase surgical oncology members to provide comprehensive care at both the Center and Delaware County Memorial Hospital through the Fox Chase Cancer Center Partners Program. Through this program, I hope to expand the Center’s efforts in bringing clinical trials and more treatment options in the treatment of thoracic cancers to the community.
At 76, I’m in my 27th year as the pastor of Saint Christopher Church, a Roman Catholic parish in Northeast Philadelphia. Recently, you might say I had an experience of biblical proportions.
My cancer journey began in late 2021 when I began experiencing feelings of sickness, most often after eating. One night in February 2022, however, it became clear food was not the issue.
I’m the kind of guy who can sleep anytime, anywhere, so when the pain in my abdomen got so bad that I couldn’t sleep, I finally told my wife I needed to go to the ER. The doctors there did some testing and scans, but all they found was an infection, so they gave me an IV and antibiotics. After a few days, when I felt better, they sent me home.
I was treated with compassion, given hope, and kept informed of every facet of my treatment.
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