Dr. Bruno Bastos

About Bruno Bastos

Accolades

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  Pleural Mesothelioma

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  Immunotherapy

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  Board Certified in Hematology

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  Excellence in Research

Bastos is a believer in the future of immunotherapy and the specialized care that all patients receive at Cleveland Clinic Florida, where he has served since 2009.

Bastos also is involved in cancer screening and early detection, genetic testing, chemoprevention and hematology oncology.

Much of his recent research has been centered on the use of immunotherapy agents, which fight the cancer naturally. They can potentially avoid the often-harsh side effects that come with standard chemotherapy.

“Immunotherapy is a more natural way of treating cancer, rather than attacking the cancer cells with chemicals,” he said. “Immunotherapy allows the patient’s own immune system to do the job it is supposed to do, which is fight the cancer.”

Involved in Immunotherapy Clinical Trials

He co-authored a study in 2018 that examined the use of tivantinib and erlotinib — a pair of immunotherapy agents — to treat non-small cell lung cancer.

He is involved with several clinical trials at the Cleveland Clinic using different drugs and different targets but the same theory of allowing the patient’s own immune system to attack the cancer.

One of those trials involves the use of immunotherapy in conjunction with aggressive surgery, believing it will slow or stop recurrence, which is a major problem with mesothelioma.

“Cancer cells create a checkpoint, a shield, that blocks the immune system’s efforts to fight them,” he said. “What’s exciting now [with immunotherapy] is that patients can get cancer treatment with minimal side effects.”

The FDA has approved the use of the immunotherapy drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for certain types of lung cancer.

Immunotherapy, though, has been only selectively effective. Much of its use today still is in combination with other treatments.

Personalization to Cancer Care

Bastos also is known for his ability to personalize his care, making patients comfortable with the decision-making process that comes with a diagnosis.

“When you become a patient here, you become the first priority for us,” he said. “A diagnosis [of cancer] is a life changing moment for most people. We take that seriously. Everyone is here to provide the best possible experience. We take that seriously for every patient.”

Bastos, who speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese, earned his medical degree at Universidade Federal Da Bahia in Salvador, Brazil.

He completed his residency training and one fellowship at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital.

He did a second fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston before returning to South Florida and the Cleveland Clinic.