Marcelo DaSilva, MD, FACS is the Medical Director of Thoracic Surgery at AdventHealth Cancer Institute in Orlando. He is an internationally renowned thoracic surgeon who is recognized for his contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. He is also the founder and leader of the Mesothelioma International Treatment Program at AdventHealth.
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Available for ChatDr. Marcelo C. DaSilva is the Medical Director of Thoracic Surgery and the Chief of Thoracic Surgery Services for AdventHealth System in Orlando. He joined the AdventHealth Orlando team in 2019.
In 2020, Dr. DaSilva opened a comprehensive mesothelioma treatment program at AdventHealth, equipped with oncologists, pathologists, and other medical professionals to offer comprehensive mesothelioma treatment in Central Florida.
Dr. DaSilva pioneered the application of heated chemotherapy for pleural mesothelioma, called intra-operative heated chemotherapy (IOHC), improving survival times for patients with this disease.
He has also developed a genetic testing system for patients with lung cancer, helping diagnose cancer subtypes with more accuracy and allowing medical professionals to develop better treatment plans based on the results.
Dr. DaSilva can communicate with patients in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Dr. DaSilva holds a medical degree from the Universidade Gama Filho in Brazil. Following his training in Brazil, he joined the New York Medical School’s educational consortium and completed a residency in surgery at Sound Shore Medical Center (formerly New Rochelle Medical Center).
With three board certifications, Dr. DaSilva also has experience educating the next generation of surgeons. He was an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School for four years before joining the staff at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston.
He worked at BWH from 2008 to 2013, and it was during this time that Dr. DaSilva worked with the late Dr. David Sugarbaker and developed his heated chemotherapy treatment for pleural mesothelioma.
Heated chemotherapy has significantly increased life expectancy for many peritoneal mesothelioma patients. Dr. DaSilva’s adaptation of this procedure for pleural mesothelioma patients has earned him international recognition.
Dr. DaSilva then advanced his career by becoming the chief of thoracic surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. However, he soon after returned to the BWH network through one of their affiliated hospitals, Care New England, maintaining his chief of thoracic surgery title.
He has since moved to Florida and currently works at AdventHealth Orlando.
Dr. DaSilva is a board-certified thoracic surgeon with additional general surgery and critical surgical care certifications. He is internationally respected for his work with mesothelioma but has expertise in numerous other areas.
His additional areas of thoracic specialty include:
Dr. DaSilva’s medical interests also include:
Through his partnership with the late Dr. David Sugarbaker, Dr. DaSilva has made substantial contributions in the field of mesothelioma treatment.
Dr. DaSilva took Dr. Sugarbaker’s existing heated chemotherapy treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma and found a way to use it for patients with pleural mesothelioma. As a result, this innovative treatment can be applied to help individuals with either form of mesothelioma.
Dr. DaSilva helps mesothelioma patients from across the nation while also researching potential treatment improvements for a range of thoracic conditions.
In 2013, Dr. DaSilva published an article detailing his groundbreaking research in which heated chemotherapy was tested in patients with pleural mesothelioma for the first time.
The study compared 72 patients who received heated chemotherapy to 21 patients who had similar pleural mesothelioma symptoms but did not receive the treatment.
The data showed that pleural mesothelioma patients who received heated chemotherapy had significantly longer periods of remission compared to those who did not. The research ultimately concluded that heated chemotherapy is an excellent treatment option for people with low-risk epithelioid pleural mesothelioma.
If you’ve been diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, you may be eligible for treatment with heated chemotherapy. Combined with other treatment methods, chemotherapy has helped many mesothelioma patients live longer with fewer symptoms.
Mesothelioma Hope can connect you with Dr. DaSilva and other top mesothelioma doctors who provide heated chemotherapy.
Call us at (855) 964-1027 today to start your treatment journey.
Mesothelioma Hope has no affiliation with and is not endorsed or sponsored by Dr. Marcelo DaSilva. Any contact information listed is for informational purposes only. You have the right to contact Dr. Marcelo DaSilva directly.
Written by:Laura WrightLaura Wright is a journalist and content strategist with more than 14 years of professional experience. She attended college at the University of Florida, graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2008. Her writing has been featured in The Gainesville Sun and other regional publications throughout Florida.
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