Dr. Prashant C. Shah

Bio

In the typically rigid and scientific world of surgery, Prashant Shah, M.D., takes a special approach to patient care. He focuses equally on medical care and emotional support.

"I have successfully counseled hundreds of patients and their family members during this difficult chapter in their life. As a counselor, my foremost goal is for the patient and their family members to . . . "understand" the multiple options that are available and to "understand" that they are not alone," Shah said in his profile for Fox Chase Cancer Center.

"It is an emotional life-altering period, where they have to struggle with making drastic changes and rational decisions regarding options to advance their treatment," he said.

While guiding patients through the complicated emotional factors of mesothelioma therapy, Shah shares his medical experience from his fellowships and residencies. During extensive post-graduate training at renowned institutions like the State University of New York and Harvard University, Shah fostered a wide range of specialized medical interests. After his general surgery residency, he completed intensive studies for cardiothoracic surgery, thoracic oncology and minimally invasive thoracic surgery.

The rigorous training in all of these fields has given Shah the knowledge necessary to treat patients with complex chest cancers, such as mesothelioma. He also treats cancers of the lung, esophagus, mediastinum and foregut as well as benign thoracic issues.

As a member of the Fox Chase Cancer Center surgical oncology team, Shah performs minimally invasive and video-guided operations to provide his patients with the lowest risk of complications and the speediest post-operative recovery times possible.

"Fox Chase not only stays on the cutting edge of cancer treatment, but also pioneers the newest, most advanced techniques," Shah said about his employer in an article for Fox Chase. "The clinical team's multidisciplinary approach gives patients access to a variety of experts who work together to offer the most effective treatment strategies."

The team at Fox Chase also includes medical oncologists, pulmonologists and radiation oncologists. Shah is one of three surgical oncologists to contribute to the patient care team. The lung cancer treatment team also offers clinical trials at select facilities.

Shah's clinical research has dealt with airway obstruction, intrapleural pressure, open heart surgery and other topics in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery. He was the lead presenter for a 2003 International Academy of Cardiology presentation discussing secondary risk factors associate with cardiac surgery.