We recommend that when you or your family member is diagnosed with mesothelioma that you be evaluated at an academic, multi-disciplinary, mesothelioma center. In order to help you become familiar with what a center can offer, we feature one center per month.
Moffitt Cancer Center
12902 USF Magnolia Drive
Tampa Florida 33612
1-888-663-3488
Mission: The mission of the Moffitt Center is to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer.
The Moffitt Cancer Center opened in 1986. In 2001, Moffitt became a NCI (National Cancer Institute) Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Moffitt Cancer Center is comprised of 19 operating rooms, a diagnostic radiology department with MRI, PET/CT, digital mammography and all other imaging capabilities and radiation therapy department. The hospital holds 226 beds.
Moffitt Cancer Center is the 3rd busiest free-standing cancer center in the United States.
Moffitt has an entire team designated to treat mesothelioma. This institution also has a large number of clinical trials. Their treatments include:
- Extra Pleural Pneumonectomy
- Pleurectomy Decortication
- Robotic assisted surgery
- IMRT intensity modulated radiation therapy
- Tomography
- Brachytherapy
- HIPEC intraoperative peritoneal heated chemotherapy
You do not need a referral to meet with one of their oncologists. The team includes medical oncologists, anesthesia, pathologists, pulmonologists, radiation oncologists and thoracic surgeons.
Moffitt Cancer Center consists of five research programs. It is made up of over 600 faculty members working together to tackle cancer. The five programs are comprised of:
- Cancer Biology: This team investigates cancer and includes mathematicians and theorists. Their research is based on evolutionary-first principles.
- Cancer Epidemiology: This group of scientists focuses on identifying the risk factors associated with different cancers. The goal is to prevention of cancer by early detection and interventions.
- Chemical Biology and Molecular Medicine: This group focuses on therapeutic approaches that involve chemical biology and systems, and they develop therapeutic approaches to new cancer treatments.
- Health outcomes and Behaviors: This is a program that contributes to the prevention, detection and control of cancer through the study of behaviors of specific cancers. There is a focus on the disease spectrum – from early diagnosis to survivorship.
- Immunology Program: The team seeks to understand why some tumors evade rejection by the immune system. This program attributes much of its success to the fact that immunology clinical specialists, translational specialists and basic scientists collaborate and facilitate rapid progression of novel immunotherapies from lab to bedside.
Director – Dr. Alan F. List, MD is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Moffitt Cancer Center
Team- The mesothelioma team consists of oncologists, surgeons, interventional radiologists and radiation oncologists.
Dr. Jacques-Pierre Fontaine (see www.FloridaChestSurgery.com) is the thoracic surgeon and the Section Head of the Mesothelioma Treatment & Research Center.
Dr. Bradford A. Perez, MD is the radiation oncologist.
Dr. Tawee Tanvetyanon, MD, MPH is the medical oncologist.
Along with other support staff, these doctors are the dedicated mesothelioma specialists in their respected fields. All are widely-published and experienced with mesothelioma.
The Moffitt Center is the largest thoracic robotic surgery program in the U.S.
The Moffitt website currently lists a total of 4 mesothelioma clinical trials. One of these clinical trials is: “A Phase 2 Study of Transarterial Chemoperfusion Treatment with Cisplatin, Methotrexate and Gemcitabine in Patients with Unresectable Pleural Mesothelioma”. This clinical trial is only offered at Moffitt Cancer Center. For further information on the active trials: www.FloridaChestSurgery.com
There are numerous services throughout the Moffitt Cancer Center. There is a social worker available to all and they encourage you to call 1-813-745-8407 with any questions or issues.
A calendar of support groups is available. Coffee hours with staff and previous patients and caregivers are offered to give an opportunity to help patients and their families get through this hard time.
They also have a list of recordings of teleconferences that provide valuable information, for example, on side effects of treatment or on assistance navigating social security and disability benefits..
Moffitt has a Patient and Family Advisory Council, which is a special program for the children of parents who have cancer. They help the families cope with different changes that may occur during this difficult time.
To contact the Moffitt Cancer Center, you can call the main number at 1-888-663-3488, or you can fill out a referral form electronically- www.Moffitt.org.
To directly contact Dr. Fontaine or the Mesothelioma Team go to: www.FloridaChestSurgery.com
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.
