Dr. Raja Michael Flores
A graduate of New York University (B.A. in biology) and the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in the Bronx (NY), Dr. Raja Michael Flores quickly rose to the top of his field after receiving his medical degree in 1992 and is now considered one of New York’s top mesothelioma doctors. Currently serving as an Associate Professor in the Department of Thoracic Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Flores also completed a residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and fellowships at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Certified in general and thoracic surgery, Dr. Flores specializes in the surgical treatment of malignant mesothelioma with particular interest in the extrapleural pneumonectomy, a surgery that removes the affected lung and other areas around it. The procedure is extremely difficult and considered a very aggressive form of treatment. Only a handful of meso patients each year are candidates for this surgery and only select doctors perform the surgery.
In addition, Flores lists his other areas of expertise as minimally invasive thoracic surgery (thoracoscopy); VATS lobectomy; lung cancer screening; tracheobronchial resection; lymph node mapping; esophageal cancer; belsey repair; and mediastinal tumors.
Aside from his work with patients, Flores has been consistently involved in research projects, including numerous clinical trials pertaining to the study and treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Much of his work has been profiled in prestigious medical journals including recent publications in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. As an author, Flores has also contributed to many other peer-reviewed journals, with articles outlining his work in the field of thoracic malignancies and other lung diseases.
Dr. Flores is a member of several professional organizations, has served on many of their boards, and has also received awards from these groups for contributions to his field. They include the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), General Thoracic Surgical Club, Cardiothoracic Surgery Network, European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), and the International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery.