Mesothelioma Survivors Endorse Baylor's Lung Institute in Houston

Thoracic surgeon Dr. David Sugarbaker disappointed some patients in 2014 when he left Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where he had forged his reputation as the nation's foremost authority on the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. The Lung Institute at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston now is Sugarbaker's new home. There, he continues to build a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program that caters to cancer patients with mesothelioma. His departure, though, has been a godsend for others – particularly two patients who needed him in Texas. "Sometimes God answers prayers in strange ways," said Sydney Roberts, a patient from nearby Katy, Texas. "And I honestly believe he answered my prayers by sending Dr. Sugarbaker to Houston – at the right time." Roberts is one of several mesothelioma patients who recently have come to see Sugarbaker, learning what others have insisted for years in Boston: There is no one better equipped to treat this rare but insidious disease. Kim Sanders, of Wichita, Kansas, is another. She drove nine hours to see him, but then stayed to become one of his first surgical patients in Texas when the Lung Institute opened in July. "I'm a walking miracle now because of Dr. Sugarbaker," said Sanders, who had an aggressive extrapleural pneumonectomy surgery seven months ago. "I feel like he gave me back my life. His coming to Texas was a blessing." They are just two of the patients thrilled to have him at the Lung Institute, where he conti...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Treatment & Doctors Source Type: news