Raja Michael Flores, M.D., is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 thoracic surgeon, currently Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital

Mount Sinai Hospital, New York

Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is one of the oldest and largest teaching hospitals in the United States. In 2011-2012, Mount Sinai Hospital was ranked as one of America's best hospitals by U.S...

 and Ames Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Mount Sinai School of Medicine is an American medical school in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, currently ranked among the top 20 medical schools in the United States. It was chartered by Mount Sinai Hospital in 1963....

, both in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

Biography

Flores received a B.A. in biochemistry

Biochemistry

Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...

 from New York University

New York University

New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

 in 1988 and his M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a graduate school of Yeshiva University. It is a not-for-profit, private, nonsectarian medical school located on the Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus in the Morris Park neighborhood of the borough of the Bronx of New York City...

 in 1992. His internship (1992–1993) and residency (1993–1997) at Columbia-Presbyterian Medial Center

NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital is a prominent university hospital in New York City affiliated with two Ivy League medical schools: Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and Cornell University's Weill Medical College. It is composed of two distinct medical centers, Columbia...

 were followed by a Thoracic Oncology Clinical Research Fellowship (1997–1998) in Intraoperative Chemotherapy, Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer at Brigham and Women's Hospital

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts. It is directly adjacent to Harvard Medical School of which it is the second largest teaching affiliate with 793 beds...

/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana–Farber Cancer Institute is part of a Comprehensive Cancer Center designated by the National Cancer Institute. It is a major affiliate of Harvard Medical School and is located in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts.-Overview:...

, and a Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency (1998-200) at Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....

, both in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, Massachusetts.

Flores is currently an editorial board member for the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Edoscopy and the World Journal of Respirology. He is a reviewer for 13 other journals including Head & Neck, the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering cardiology, general surgery, pulmonary medicine, and vascular disease published by Elsevier. It is an official journal of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic...

, the Journal of Thoracic Oncology and the Journal of Clinical Oncology

Journal of Clinical Oncology

The Journal of Clinical Oncology is a medical journal published 3 times a month by the American Society of Clinical Oncology , with a 2009 impact factor of 17.793...

. Memberships include the American College of Chest Physicians

American College of Chest Physicians

The American College of Chest Physicians is a medical organization in the United States consisting of physicians and non-physician specialists in the field of chest medicine, which includes pulmonology, thoracic surgery, and critical care medicine....

, the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group

American College of Surgeons Oncology Group

The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group is a clinical trial cooperative group supported publicly by the National Cancer Institute . Established during the 1990s, ACOSOG has a different mission when compared to other cooperative groups. For the most part, ACOSOG focuses on the effects of...

 and the American Society of Clinical Oncology

American Society of Clinical Oncology

The American Society of Clinical Oncology is the world's leading professional organization representing physicians of all oncology subspecialties who care for people with cancer. Founded in 1964 by Drs...

.

Research

Flores' research has significantly impacted the surgical management of pleural mesothelioma

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, more precisely malignant mesothelioma, is a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body's internal organs, the mesothelium...

 by demonstrating that partial pleural membrane removal is as effective a treatment as lung removal. He was instrumental in creating VATS lobectomy

VATS lobectomy

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy is an approach to lung cancer surgery.-Traditional approach to lung cancer surgery: thoracotomy:Anatomic lung resection, i.e...

 as the standard in the surgical treatment of lung cancer

Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...

 and is considered a pioneer in the use of intraoperative chemotherapy

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....

 for mesothelioma

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma, more precisely malignant mesothelioma, is a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body's internal organs, the mesothelium...

.

Flores is the author of more than 60 book chapters, reviews, monographs and abstracts and more than 150 publications. He serves as a reviewer for 13 journals and has been an editorial board member on four journals. He is the principal investigator on five clinical trials and has been has been ranked in the top 1% in his field by U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...

.

Flores areas of interest include lung cancer screening, thoracoscopy

Thoracoscopy

Thoracoscopy is a medical procedure involving internal examination, biopsy, and/or resection of disease or masses within the pleural cavity and thoracic cavity...

, VATS lobectomy, extrapleural pneumonectomy for mesothelioma, asbestos

Asbestos

Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...

, tracheal stenosis, carinal surgery and esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...

 surgery. He is the principal investigator for a clinical trial of neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy and high-dose radiation.

Other research includes:

Role	Title	Affiliation
Co-Principal Investigator	Extrapleural Pneumonectomy Followed by Intrathoracic/Intraperitoneal Heated Cisplatin and Intravenous Sodium Thiosulfate in the Multimodality Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Phase I Study	Brigham & Women's Hospital
Principal Investigator	Randomized, Prospective Trial of Mediastinal LN Sampling Vs. Complete Lymphadenectomy During Conduct of Pulmonary Resection in Patients with N0 and N1 (less than hilar) non-small cell carcinoma (ACOSOG Z0030)	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center is a cancer treatment and research institution founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital...
Principal Investigator	A Randomized Phase III Trial Surgery Alone or Surgery Plus Preoperative Paclitaxel/Carboplatin in Clinical Stage IB (T2N0), II (T1-2N1, T3N0) and selected IIIA None Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) – (RTOGL-0015 (S9900)	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Principal Investigator	The Role of Laparoscopic Staging in Patients with Resectable Gastroesophageal Junction Carcinomas	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Principal Investigator	A Phase II Trial of Induction Chemotherapy, Surgical Resection and Adjuvant External Beam Radiation for Locally Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Principal Investigator	A Phase II Trial of Induction Chemotherapy, Surgical Resection, and Adjuvant External Beam Radiation for Locally Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma	Lilly Research Laboratories Lilly Research Laboratories Lilly Research Laboratories is the organizational name of the global pharmaceutical research and development organization of Eli Lilly and Company, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical corporations. Research at Lilly includes activities to discover and develop new drugs, from exploratory...

Publications

Partial list:

• Sarkaria IS, Bains MS, Sood S, Sima CS, Reuter VE, Flores RM, Motzer RJ, Bosl GJ, Rusch VW. Resection of primary mediastinal non-seminomatous germ cell tumors: a 28-year experience at memorial sloan-kettering cancer center. J Thorac Oncol. 2011 Jul;6(7):1236-41. PMID 21610519.
• Flores RM, Ihekweazu UN, Rizk NP, Dycoco J, Bains MS, Downey RJ, Adusumilli PS. Patterns of recurrence and incidence of second primary tumors after lobectomy by VATS versus thoracotomy for lung cancer. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2011 Jan;141(1):59-64. PMID 21055770
• Kaufman AJ, Flores RM. Surgical treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Curr Treat Options Oncol. 2011 Jun;12(2):201-16. PMID 21465419.
• Flores RM. Reply to difference in outcome in the transection of the pulmonary artery and vein. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2011 Feb;141(2):597-8. PMID 21241869.
• Rai AJ, Flores RM. Association of malignant mesothelioma and asbestos related conditions with ovarian cancer: shared biomarkers and a possible etiological link? Clin Chem Lab Med. 2011 Jan;49(1):5-7. Epub 2010 Dec 16. PMID 21158701.
• Flores RM, Ihekweazu UN, Rizk N, Dycoco J, Bains MS, Downey RJ, Adusumilli P, Finley DJ, Huang J, Rusch VW, Sarkaria I, Park B. Patterns of recurrence and incidence of second primary tumors after lobectomy by means of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) versus thoracotomy for lung cancer. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2011 Jan;141(1):59-64. Epub 2010 Nov 5. PMID 21055770.
• Flores RM, Riedel E, Donington JS, Alago W, Ihekweazu U, Krug L, Rosenzweig K, Adusumilli PS, Carbone M, Pass HI. Frequency of use and predictors of cancer-directed surgery in the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma in a community-based (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results [SEER]) population. J Thorac Oncol. 2010 Oct;5(10):1649-54. PMID 20871264.
• Ihekweazu UN, Ludwig E, Flores RM. PillCam in gastric conduit after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. Ann Thorac Surg. 2010 Aug;90(2):673. PMID 20667385.
• Abbey AM, Flores RM. Spontaneous resolution of a pericardial cyst. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010 Aug;16(1):55-6. PMID 20190713.
• Rai AJ, Flores RM, Mathew A, Gonzalez-Espinoza R, Bott M, Ladanyi M, Rusch V, Fleisher M. Soluble mesothelin related peptides (SMRP) and osteopontin as protein biomarkers for malignant mesothelioma: analytical validation of ELISA based assays and characterization at mRNA and protein levels. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2010 Feb;48(2):271-8. PMID 20131968.
• Flores RM. Invited commentary. Ann Thorac Surg. 2010 Feb;89(2):396. PMID 20103307.
• Blasberg JD, Pass HI, Goparaju CM, Flores RM, Lee S, Donington JS. Reduction of elevated plasma osteopontin levels with resection of non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Feb 20;28(6):936-41. Epub 2010 Jan 19. PMID 20085934
• Flores RM. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy: focus on technique. World J Surg. 2010 Apr;34(4):616-20. PMID 20082195.
• Blasberg JD, Pass HI, Goparaju CMV, Flores RM, Lee S., Donington JS. Reduction of elevated plasma osteopontin levels with resection of non-small cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol 2010 Feb 20;28(6):936-41. PMID 20085934
• Flores RM. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy: focus on technique.World J Surg. 2010 Apr;34(4):616-20. PMID 20082195
• Flores RM, Riedel E, Donington JS, Alago W, Ihekweazu U, Krug L, Rosenzweig K, Adusumilli PS, Carbone M, and Pass HI. Frequency of use and predictors of cancer directed surgery in the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma in a community-based (SEER) population. J Thorac Oncol 2010 Oct 5(10):1649-1654. PMID 20871264
• Flores RM. Surgical options in malignant pleural mesothelioma: extrapleural pneumonectomy or pleurectomy/decortication. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2009 Summer;21(2):149-53. Review. PMID 19822286.
• Flores RM, Park BJ, Dycoco J, Aronova A, Hirth Y, Rizk NP, Bains M, Downey RJ, Rusch VW. Lobectomy by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) versus thoracotomy for lung cancer. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2009;138(1):11-18. PMID 19577048
• Flores RM, Park BJ, Dycoco J, Aronova A, Hirth Y, Rizk NP, Bains M, Downey RJ, Rusch VW. Lobectomy by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) versus thoracotomy for lung cancer. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2009 Jul;138(1):11-8. PMID 19577048.
• Flores RM, Pass HI, Seshan VE, Dycoco J, Zakowski M, Carbone M, Bains MS, Rusch VW. Extrapleural Pneumonectomy (EPP) versus Pleurectomy/Decortication (P/D) in the surgical management of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM): Results in 663 patients. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008 Mar; 135(3):620-6, 626.el-3. Epub 2008 Feb 1. PMID 18329481
• Garcia A, Flores RM. Surgical Management of tumors invading the superior vena cava. Ann Thorac Surg 2008; 85(6):2144-6. PMID 18498851
• Flores RM, Routledge T, Venkatraman E, Dycoco J, Hirth Y, Rusch VW. The impact of lymph node station on survival in 348 patients with surgically resected malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM): implications for revision of the AJCC staging system. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2008 Sep; 136(3): 605-610. Epub 2008 Jun 27. PMID 18805259
• Garcia A, Byrne JG, Bueno R, Flores RM. Aneurysm of the main pulmonary artery. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2008 Dec;14(6):399-401. PMID 19131930.
• Flores RM, Zakowski M, Venkatraman E, Krug L, Rosenzweig K, Dycoco J, Lee C, Yeoh C, Bains M, Rusch VW. Prognostic Factors in the Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) at a Large Tertiary Referral Center. J Thorac Oncol 2007;2:957-65. PMID 17909360
• Flores RM, Krug LM, Rosenzweig KE, Venkatraman E, Vincent A, Heelan R, Akhurst T, Rusch VW. Induction chemotherapy, extrapleural pneumonectomy, and postoperative high dose radiotherapy for locally advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma. A phase II trial. J Thorac Oncol 2006 May;1(4):289-95. PMID 17409872
• Flores RM, Alam N. Treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma: pleurectomy with adjuvant therapy. Operative Techniques in Thor and Cardiovasc Surg 2006:11(1)57-74.
• Flores RM, Akhurst T, Gonen M, Zakowski M, Dycocco J, Larsen SM, Rusch VW. Positron emission tomography predicts survival in malignant pleural mesothelioma. J Thorac Cardiovasc 2006:132(4):763-8. PMID 17000285
• Flores RM, Su W, Lal D, Rusch VW, LaQuaglia MP. Extrapleural pneumonectomy in children. J Ped Surg 2006;41(10):1738-42. PMID 17011280
• Sugarbaker DJ, Flores RM, Jaklitsch MT, Richards WG, Strauss GM, Corson JM, DeCamp MM Jr, Swanson SJ, Bueno R, Lukanich JM, Baldini EH, Mentzer SJ. Resection margins, extrapleural nodal status, and cell type determine survival in trimodality therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM): Results in 183 patients. Seventy-eighth meeting of the American Association of Thoracic Surgery. 1998. Boston, MA. PMID 9869758

External links

• Mount Sinai Hospital homepage
• Mount Sinai School of Medicine homepage
• YouTube – Dr. Flores at the International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma, 2008
• YouTube – Dr. Flores at the Mesothelioma Symposium, 2009