Quick Facts
  • wavy circle icon with check mark inside
    Expertise:
    Pleural mesothelioma
    Robotic surgery
    Heated chemotherapy
    Chest Reconstruction
  • certificate with a ribbon icon below
    Certifications:
    American Board of Surgery
    American Board of Thoracic Surgery
    Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (M.D.)
  • magnifying glass with heart icon
    Speciality:
    Thoracic Surgery
  • gender symbols interlocked icon
    Gender:
    Male
  • chat box with different language translations icon
    Language:
    English, French, Portuguese, Spanish
  • pin location icon
    Primary Location:
    AdventHealth Orlando

About Dr. Marcelo DaSilva

Thoracic surgeon Dr. Marcelo DaSilva joined AdventHealth in 2019. He was tasked with building a comprehensive mesothelioma program to rival any in the country, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where he previously served.

DaSilva sees patients and performs surgeries for several thoracic malignancies, including mesothelioma, at AdventHealth Orlando, which is closely affiliated with AdventHealth Celebration in Kissimmee.

At AdventHealth, DaSilva has gathered a multidisciplinary team of surgical and medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and an experienced support staff to provide the whole-body-and-mind approach to mesothelioma treatment.

Known as the Mesothelioma International Treatment Program, it now includes physicians with extensive experience across several disciplines. It offers respiratory rehabilitation services not often found at most treatment centers around the country.

The program also emphasizes the holistic approach that Dr. David Sugarbaker first championed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, focusing on both the mental and physical well-being of each patient. 

He spent more than a decade as a thoracic surgeon and key contributor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he worked closely with mesothelioma pioneer Sugarbaker.

DaSilva has more than 20 years of experience as a thoracic surgeon. Between his two stints in Boston, he also served as chief of thoracic surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.

While he specializes in mesothelioma, he also regularly treats lung and esophageal cancers.

DaSilva was part of the esophageal program at Care New England, where he also served as chief of thoracic surgery. He performs chest reconstruction and treats pleural effusions.

It was at Brigham and Women’s where he was trained in minimally invasive surgery, which he turned into one of his specialties today, along with robotics. DaSilva became a pioneer in the 3D minimally invasive esophagectomy and in thoracic 3D models for chest wall reconstruction.

DaSilva has used that approach in bringing together specialists from all possible disciplines and going well beyond traditional treatment. He often talks of focusing on the mental as well as the physical well-being of patients. His program includes rehabilitation, nutrition and exercise.

“AdventHealth already had excellence in those fields, but our goal was to bring them all under one umbrella, to build them into a mesothelioma program of excellence,” DaSilva said. “We have the resources to make it happen here.”

Dr. DaSilva’s Role as Medical Reviewer on Asbestos.com

DaSilva’s experience spans more than two decades in thoracic surgery. His training with top mesothelioma experts and years of operating experience make him an ideal medical reviewer for The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com, the nation’s most trusted mesothelioma resource.

He makes sure the information on many of the medical pages on Asbestos.com meet current professional standards when it comes to diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Contact Dr. Marcelo DaSilva

Specialties of Dr. Marcelo DaSilva

  • Pleural mesothelioma
  • Robotic surgery
  • Heated chemotherapy
  • Lung cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Chest reconstruction
Specialist consultation with a patient
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Experience and Education

  • AdventHealth Orlando
  • AdventHealth Celebration
  • Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Loyola University Medical Center
  • Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University (Fellowship)
  • Penn State College of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Residency)

Awards and Recognition

  • Bristol-Myers Squibb Scholars of Surgery Award
  • Mark Young International Medical Studies Scholarship
  • Healthgrades Honor Roll

Publications of Dr. Marcelo DaSilva

  • DaSilva, M. et al. (2020, May 8). Comparative Analysis of the Minimum Number of Replication Origins in Trypanosomatids and Yeasts. Genes.
  • Burt, B. et al. (2018, May 9). A Phase I Trial of Surgical Resection and Intraoperative Hyperthermic Cisplatin and Gemcitabine for Pleural Mesothelioma. Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
  • Burt, B. et al. (2011, October). Repeated and Aggressive Pulmonary Resections for Leiomyosarcoma Metastases Extends Survival. Annals of Thoracic Surgery.