Increasing Number of Mesothelioma Cases Seen in Texas Hospital

Dr. Roy Smythe, Chairman, Department of Surgery at Temple Clinic of Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, Texas, says he is getting two to four new mesothelioma patients each month, and he believes there are still more that come to the clinic to visit other physicians. Smythe, previously of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, is one of the premier mesothelioma specialists in the country.

Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Most at-risk for the disease were workers with occupations such as insulators, plumbers and pipefitters, electricians, sheet metal workers, auto mechanics, refinery and factory workers and shipyard workers. The disease has an extended latency period and strikes 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.

Texas and the Gulf Region are home to some the United State’s largest refining and oil industry companies, as well as several of the busiest shipyards. Workers in these industries who were exposed to asbestos years ago may just be seeking treatment for their symptoms associated with mesothelioma.

Smythe focuses his practice on patients diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, mesothelioma, metastatic lesions of the lung, esophageal cancer, benign lung disease, and chest wall tumors. Smythe has received many awards and distinctions throughout his career including the 2007 Consumers Research Council Best Surgeons in America, and Best Doctors In America for 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008.

Scott & White Healthcare is a fully integrated health system — the largest multi-specialty practice in Texas and the sixth largest group practice in the nation. For the seventh straight year, Scott & White has been ranked among the Thomson 100 Top Hospitals in the country based upon clinical excellence, patient safety and satisfaction, operating efficiency and community responsiveness. The study names Scott & White among the elite major teaching hospitals in the country.

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