Lary A. Robinson, M.D.

Bio

The Southeast is home to one of the nation’s premiere destinations for cancer care and treatment – the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. And for those afflicted with mesothelioma, lung cancer or a related condition, this reputation is due in no small part to Lary A. Robinson, M.D., the director of the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery.

Robinson also educates future medical professionals in his role as a professor in thoracic oncology. This emphasis on higher learning is reflected in his own education, including the completion of a residency, internship and a fellowship, all at Duke University Medical Center. With board certifications in Thoracic Surgery and Surgery/Critical Care, Robinson has more than earned the respect of his colleagues and patients. He serves as a diplomat of both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery while also holding a seat on the Science Advisory Board of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF).

But it is Robinson’s work – and Moffitt Cancer Center’s entire Thoracic Oncology Department – that attracts patients. He’s considered an expert in the aggressive surgical management of mesothelioma and advanced lung cancer. He boils down the approach his team takes to the treatment of these conditions, explaining that the group "evaluates patients with a multidisciplinary approach involving medical oncologists, pulmonologists, radiation oncologists, thoracic pathologists, thoracic radiologists and thoracic surgeons."

For earlier stage I and II mesothelioma patients, who are typically in good condition with no prior therapies, Robinson treats them aggressively with an extrapleural pneumonectomy, a procedure in which the affected lung and any portions of the diaphragm and chest and/or heart linings are removed. This is followed up with adjuvant chemotherapy and local radiation therapy.

For more advanced mesothelioma or non-surgical candidates, we treat most patients with a chemotherapy protocol, possibly with adjuvant measures for palliation.

Robinson welcomes interaction between different medical branches and professionals. "As a thoracic surgical oncologist, my own expertise lies with the surgical treatment of this disease, but I maintain a strong interaction with the medical members of our mesothelioma cancer team" he says.

Robinson values the importance of research. He participates in a wide array of clinical trials. He’s written and/or contributed articles, abstracts and other works to many peer-reviewed journals.

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Publications

Both of Robinson's texts on mesothelioma were published in Cancer Control in 2006; he authored "Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Pleura" alone and co-authored "Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Comprehensive Review."