Fox Chase Cancer Center

About Fox Chase Cancer Center

Fox Chase Cancer Center is a cancer hospital affiliated with Temple University Health System. In 1974, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated it as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. This prestigious status means that Fox Chase Cancer Center provides extremely high-quality care.

Fox Chase is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a collaboration among the world’s best cancer treatment centers.

“The mission of Fox Chase Cancer Center is to prevail over cancer by marshaling hearts and minds in bold scientific discovery, pioneering prevention, and compassionate care.”
—National Cancer Institute

The center has a staff of more than 2,000, provides world-class patient care, and conducts clinical research across its 80 laboratories. Because of its affiliation with Temple University, it has more than 50 additional researchers from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine and College of Public Health.

Fox Chase Cancer Center’s highly respected mesothelioma program utilizes the latest surgical techniques and therapies. In addition, Fox Chase routinely conducts clinical trials, providing patients access to the latest advancements in treating mesothelioma.

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Fast Facts – Fox Chase Cancer Center Philadelphia

• Founded in 1904 as one of the first cancer hospitals in the country
• Carries the NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center status, the highest accolade the NCI can award
• Has a multidisciplinary mesothelioma cancer program with extensive pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial mesothelioma experience
• Utilizes multimodal mesothelioma treatment that often combines surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy
• Provides a full spectrum of care from mesothelioma diagnosis to survivorship
• Conducts numerous clinical trials offering access to innovative treatments for cancer patients
• Its nursing department has held Magnet designation for excellence in nursing since 2000
• Its physicians and researchers have received many honors and awards, including the Nobel Prize

Mesothelioma Patient Experience at Fox Chase

Mesothelioma patients who seek treatment at Fox Chase Cancer Center will benefit from next-day appointments with the center’s thoracic cancer experts. Fox Chase prides itself on this fast service, as it reduces patient stress and can ensure that treatment is received quickly.

Fox Chase Cancer Center takes a multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment, backing every treatment plan with the expertise of various mesothelioma specialists.

These experts work with the entire care team to review a patient’s history, imaging scans, and medical records to develop an individualized treatment plan. The goal is to create a plan most likely to provide the best outcome for each patient.

“The thoracic oncology team meets regularly to review new or challenging cases in depth and reach a consensus on treatment strategies. Through this coordinated approach, we strive to offer the most thorough and personalized care, as well as access to innovative therapies for your cancer.”
–Fox Chase Cancer Center

Fox Chase also has a robust international program, assisting patients from outside the country through its membership with Philadelphia International Medicine (PIM).

Through the PIM collaboration, doctors can coordinate information with overseas physicians and provide video conference consultations when necessary. This service aims to remove many of the physical and invisible barriers that foreign mesothelioma patients may otherwise experience.

Mesothelioma Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center

Fox Chase Cancer Center has a robust mesothelioma program with doctors who treat pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial mesothelioma patients.

The center has over a dozen mesothelioma specialists with extensive experience treating the disease and a full support staff of nurses and other medical professionals.

Fox Chase uses multimodal mesothelioma treatment, combining surgery with other therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

The mesothelioma program at Fox Chase Cancer Center offers state-of-the-art diagnostics, treatment, and survivorship care, making it a top choice for mesothelioma patients everywhere.

Mesothelioma Doctors at Fox Chase Cancer Center

At Fox Chase Cancer Center, each member of the mesothelioma team is committed to providing excellent care and patient support.

The mesothelioma care team comprises surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and pulmonologists.

On October 16, 2023, it was announced that Joseph Friedberg, MD, FACS, and Melissa Culligan, RN, BSN, MSc, Ph.D. candidate, were recently appointed to new positions in the International Mesothelioma Interest Group (iMig).

Fox Chase Cancer Center mesothelioma doctors include:

• Dr. Danish Ahmad
• Dr. Sheela Ahmed
• Dr. Jessica Bauman
• Dr. Hossein Borghaei
• Dr. Scot W. Ebbinghaus
• Dr. Martin J. Edelman
• Dr. Joseph Friedberg
• Dr. Anshu Giri
• Dr. Stephanie H. Greco
• Dr. Alan David Haber
• Dr. Jason A. Incorvati
• Dr. Julia Judd
• Dr. Rohit Kumar
• Dr. Sameera Kumar
• Dr. Gregory Michael Lubiniecki
• Dr. Christopher J. Manley
• Dr. Anthony Olszanski
• Dr. Sanjay S. Reddy
• Dr. Stacey Su
• Dr. Joseph Treat

Try our Free Doctor Match if you want help getting matched with a mesothelioma specialist at Fox Chase Cancer Center or other top mesothelioma cancer treatment centers.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options at Fox Chase Cancer Center

Fox Chase offers patients a wide range of mesothelioma treatment options as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Most patients will be prescribed a plan that includes surgery with systemic therapies (such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy) and radiation therapy.

“As an NCI-designated cancer center, we offer fellowship-trained surgeons and a multidisciplinary care team that has vast experience treating this disease.”
—Stephanie Greco, MD, Surgical Oncologist

The mesothelioma program deploys a wide range of surgical techniques, including endoscopic surgery and laparoscopic surgery. The center is also equipped with robotics, allowing Fox Chase’s surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgeries whenever possible.

Mesothelioma treatment plans are personalized to each patient’s stage of mesothelioma and whether it has spread. These factors are assessed along with the patient’s age, health history, and personal treatment goals.

Treatment options also vary based on the type of mesothelioma each patient has.

Treatment for Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of the disease, affecting the lining of the lungs. Pleural mesothelioma patients diagnosed at an early stage are usually offered surgery as a treatment option.

“Pleural mesothelioma has traditionally been considered a lethal disease, and if patients get an ominous prognosis elsewhere, they may not realize all the treatment options that could have a positive impact on their prognosis. At Fox Chase, we are specialists in rare diseases, especially pleural mesothelioma.”
—Stacey Su, MD, FACS, Thoracic Surgical Oncologist

Fox Cancer Center’s pleural mesothelioma treatment options include:

• Extrapleural Pneumonectomy (EPP): The traditional surgical treatment for pleural mesothelioma, EPP involves the removal of a patient’s tumor, lung, pericardium (heart lining), and diaphragm.
• Pleurectomy/Decortication (P/D): A technically demanding technique, P/D requires a surgeon to remove a tumor, often the pericardium and diaphragm, while sparing a patient’s lung.
• Pleural Catheter Placement: This procedure relieves pleural effusion (fluid buildup) by inserting a temporary catheter into the chest after drainage.
• Interventional Pulmonology: The pulmonologists at Fox Chase have worked extensively with mesothelioma patients, including those with limited lung function, and can use interventional pulmonology to treat pleural effusions caused by mesothelioma.
• Radiation Therapy: Fox Chase’s radiation oncologists can use high-energy beams to treat mesothelioma. The center typically uses radiation therapy with surgery and chemotherapy or, for non-surgical patients, with aggressive chemotherapy.
• Systemic Therapy: As part of a multimodal treatment approach, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy may be used. These types of systemic therapy may be used as either standard care or through a clinical trial. Additionally, mesothelioma patients diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other body parts may be treated with systemic therapy options.

Treatment for Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the abdomen, is the second most common type. The gold standard surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma is cytoreduction combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

Cytoreduction with HIPEC has added years to the lives of many peritoneal mesothelioma patients.

The procedure is an extensive open surgery aiming to remove as much cancer from the abdominal cavity as possible. Surgeons also look for cancer in nearby organs, such as the liver, stomach, spleen, bowel, and gallbladder.

Fox Chase Cancer Center peritoneal patients who undergo cytoreduction will also receive HIPEC. This is heated chemotherapy in which the abdominal cavity is soaked in a warmed chemo solution.

“With the volume of peritoneal mesothelioma cases we see at Fox Chase, we have a high level of experience and take pride in matching patients to the appropriate treatments for their specific disease.”
—Sanjay S. Reddy, MD, FACS, Surgical Oncologist

Peritoneal mesothelioma patients treated at Fox Cancer Center may also receive systemic chemotherapy. This involves circulating medication throughout the body through the bloodstream to destroy cancer cells.

While systemic chemotherapy is not considered curative for peritoneal mesothelioma, it can help shrink tumors and slow cancer growth. It can also be used as a palliative treatment to relieve symptoms when surgery is not an option.

Clinical Trials, Studies, & Research at Fox Chase

Fox Chase Cancer Center is on the cutting edge of cancer research, helping develop new treatments for mesothelioma patients.

Therefore, patients of Fox Chase can often participate in mesothelioma clinical trials to access the latest treatments before they are approved for general use.

Mesothelioma clinical trials at Fox Chase include:

• Treatment Trials: Fox Chase Cancer Center is administering a number of treatment trials that test potential therapies for malignant mesothelioma patients. Some of these treatment trials test pharmaceutical drugs. Other treatment trials are attempting to refine multi-treatment approaches to mesothelioma.
• Non-treatment Trials: These trials attempt to predict how cancers like mesothelioma behave in hopes of stopping it someday. Common non-treatment trials for mesothelioma at Fox Chase include drugs interrupting cell pathways required for cancer growth and tumor collection for future studies.

While clinical trials provide access to promising new mesothelioma treatments, it is important to understand they are not a good fit for everyone.

Talk with your doctor if you are interested in finding a mesothelioma clinical trial. Download our list of questions to ensure you get the information you need.

Insurance Information at Fox Chase Cancer Center

Fox Chase Cancer Center accepts most health insurance plans. However, the plans and carriers may change as the hospital seeks to work with insurance providers to treat as many people as possible.

Health insurance plans accepted by Fox Chase include:

• Aetna
• Aetna Medicare Advantage
• Beech Street
• Berkshire Health Partners
• Coventry Medicare Advantage (falls under Aetna contract)
• Cigna Health Plan – Commercial only
• Clover Health Plan – Medicare Advantage
• First Health Network (falls under Aetna contract)
• Geisinger Health Plan
• Health Partners Plans
• Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ
• Humana – Medicare
• Intergroup
• Independence Blue Cross
• Keystone First – Medicaid HMO
• Keystone VIP Choice Special Needs Plan
• MultiPlan PPO plan
• Optum Health Network
• OSCAR Health – Commercial Exchange Plan
• PA Health and Wellness
• Prime Health Services
• National Provider Network
• Qualcare
• United Healthcare Plan
• UPMC for Life (Community Health Choices)
• UPMC For You (Health Choices)

Since this list could change, contacting your insurance provider to verify coverage before seeking treatment at Fox Chase Cancer Center is smart.

Seeking Treatment at Fox Chase Cancer Center Philadelphia

Fox Chase Cancer Center is renowned for its comprehensive mesothelioma program, which offers state-of-the-art treatment for all types of mesothelioma.

To request an appointment, you can call the facility or schedule online. If you would like dedicated help, call or chat with Mesothelioma Hope’s Patient Advocates now.

With over 45 years of combined experience, our Patient Advocates offer personalized assistance to mesothelioma patients and their loved ones.

Patient Advocates are standing by 24/7 to assist you.