Dr. Joseph S. Friedberg

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Dr. Friedberg is Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Health System — Presbyterian.

Phone: (215) 662-9195
Address: 266 Wright Saunders Building 39th & Market Streets Philadelphia, PA 19104

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Dr. Friedberg is Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Health System — Presbyterian. He is a member of many national and international societies as well as local and regional societies and a scientific committee.

Educational Background

Dr. Friedberg is a graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard’s prestigious Medical School. After his doctoral degree, he took up a fellowship at Grunnenbaum Research. Later, he completed a Surgical Internship at Massachusetts general Hospital. Following his internship he completed two residencies, one in Otolaryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and one in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, respectively. Completing his formal training, he was accepted for a fellowship position in cardiothoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, thoracic track.

Mesothelioma Research

Dr. Friedberg is board certified in General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, specializing in thoracic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He heads the PMC Thoracic Research Laboratory, where his particular interests lie in diseases of the pleura. He also has extensive experience with laser treatments and photodynamic therapy. Dr. Friedberg has pioneered several unique investigational trials regarding treatments for advanced cancers and malignant mesothelioma. One such trial in the works may lead to the development of a lung cancer vaccine.

Additionally, Dr. Friedberg commonly performs video thoracoscopic procedures. This procedure is part of a treatment for a wide variety of chest diseases. As well as being skilled in both open and minimally invasive approaches, Dr. Friedberg is well versed in the understanding, and treatment of mesothelioma.

Memberships in Professional and Scientific Societies

National and International Societies

American Association of Thoracic Surgeons
American College of Chest Physicians
American College of Surgeons (Fellow)
American Society of Clinical Oncology
American Thoracic Society
General Thoracic Club
Massachusetts General Hospital Alumni Society
Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons
Society of Critical Care Medicine
Society of Surgical Oncology
Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Surgical Infection Society
Local and Regional Societies

Pennsylvania Medical Society
Philadelphia County Medical Society
Scientific Committees

General Thoracic Biology Club
Research Publications

As a part of his studies and research, Dr. Friedberg has been involved in numerous publications and journals, many of which are concerning various aspects of mesothelioma research and clinical trials. As well as his several publications, Dr. Friedberg also has patents on a couple new cancer treatment options. A sample of the publications by Dr. Friedberg et al. includes:

Research Publications, Peer-Reviewed

Lennon PF, Hartigan PM, Friedberg JS: Clinical management of patients undergoing concurrent cardiac surgery and pulmonary resection. J Cardiovasc Vasc Anes 12(5):587-590, Oct. 1998.
Shrager JB, Lambright ES, McGrath CM, Wahl PM, Deeb ME, Friedberg JS, Kaiser LR: Lobectomy with tangential pulmonary artery resection without regard to pulmonary func-tion. Ann Thorac Surg 70(1):234-239, July 2000.
Sanfilippo NJ, Hsi A, DeNittis AS, Ginsberg GG, Kochman ML, Friedberg JS, Hahn SM: Toxicity of photodynamic therapy after combined external beam radiotherapy and intra-luminal brachytherapy for carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. Lasers Surg & Med 28(3):278-281, 2001.
Yu GH, Soma L, Hahn S, Friedberg JS: Changing clinical course of patients with malignant mesothelioma: Implications for FNA cytology and utility of immunocytochemical staining. Diag Cytopathol 24(5):322-327, May 2001.
Shrager JB, Kozyak BW, Roberts JR, Bavaria JE, Friedberg JS, Kaiser LR, Rosengard BR: Successful experience with simultaneous lung volume reduction and cardiac procedures. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 122(1):196-197, July 2001.
Friedberg JS, Mick R, Stevenson J, Metz J, Zhu T, Buyske J, Sterman DH, Pass HI, Glatstein E, Hahn SM: A phase I study of Foscan-mediated photodynamic therapy and surgery in patients with mesothelioma. Ann Thorac Surg 75(3):952-959, Mar. 2003.
Yom SS, Busch TM, Friedberg JS, Wileyto EP, Smith D, Glatstein E, Hahn SM: Elevated serum cytokine levels in mesothelioma patients who have undergone pleurectomy or extrapleural pneumonectomy and adjuvant intraoperative photodynamic therapy. Photochem Photobiol 78(1):75-81, July 2003.
Singhal S, Wiewrodt R, Malden LD, Amin KM, Matzie K, Friedberg J, Kucharczuk JC, Litzky LA, Johnson SW, Kaiser LR, Albelda SM. Gene expression profiling of malignant mesothelioma. Clin Cancer Res 9(8):3080-3097, Aug. 1, 2003.
Friedberg JS, Skema C, Burdick J, Yodh AG, Carr SR, Culver JP: A novel technique for light delivery through branched or bent anatomic structures. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 126(6):1963-1967, Dec. 2003.
Hahn SM. Smith RP. Friedberg J: Photodynamic therapy for mesothelioma. [Review] Curr Treatment Options Oncol 2(5):375-383, Oct. 2001.
Rodriguez E, Baas P, Friedberg JS. Innovative therapies: Photodynamic therapy. [Review] Thorac Surg Clin 14(4):557-566, Nov. 2004.
Editorials, Chapters and Participation in Committee Reports

Friedberg JS, Hahn S: Foscan-mediated photodynamic therapy and operation for malig-nant pleural mesothelioma. [Editorial] Ann Thorac Surg 78:388-389, June 2004.
Friedberg JS: Malignant pleural effusion and malignant pericardial effusion. Chap. 57 in Pass HI, Carbone DP, Johnson DH, Minna JD, Turrisi AT III (eds.): Lung Cancer: Principles and Practice, Third Edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2005 (in press).
Friedberg JS, Rodriguez E, Baas P: Innovative therapies: Photodynamic therapy. Chap. 14 in Chest Surgery Clinics of North America (Topic — Mesothelioma). Philadelphia: Elsevier Science (USA), 2005 (in press).
Friedberg JS: Photodynamic therapy in the management of pleural effusions. Adult Chest Surgery: Concepts and Procedures. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2005 (in press).
Friedberg JS: Surgical management of malignant mesothelioma. Mastery of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005 (in press).
Alternative Media

Friedberg JS: Video mediastinoscopy and surgical advances for treating lung cancer. Live WebCast, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, 2002.
Friedberg JS: Surgical treatment of lung cancer and photodynamic therapy in the treatment of advanced lung cancer. Rowan University Radio Station “Your Health Matters,” Oct. 2004.
Patents

Friedberg JS. System oxygenation via gastric perfusion with perfluorocarbon (PFC). U.S. Patent and Trademark serial number pending, 2005.
Friedberg JS. Investigational new drug (IND): Autologous Hapten-modified non-small cell lung cancer vaccine. Patent number pending, 2005.

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