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Dr. Douglas L Fraker
Contact Information
- 3400 Spruce Street, 4 Silverstein Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- (215) 615-5858
- rakerd@uphs.upenn.edu
Mesothelioma, a cancer which is almost always due to occupational asbestos exposure, is incurable. Yet this has not deterred a number of top oncologists and oncology surgeons, as well as medical researchers, from studying this disease in an attempt to conquer it, or to at least learn how to better treat it. One of these is Dr. Douglas L. Fraker. Dr. Fraker specializes in Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery, Chief of the Division of Endocrine and Oncologic Surgery, and Deputy Director of Clinical Services and Programs.
Dr. Fraker earned his medical degree from Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude, and completed both his internship and residency at the University of California San Francisco Medical School. He also completed a fellowship with the National Cancer Institute before returning to San Francisco Medical School as first a senior resident and then chief resident. He is board-certified in Surgical Oncology.
Currently, Dr. Fraker is involved in two research projects, both of which relate to the regional treatment of advanced cancers. The first involves an evaluation of the effect of a tumor's response to melphalan, a type of chemotherapy, and whether a lowering of the pH level enhances such response. The second involves a study of intraperitoneal photodynamic therapy for abdominal cancers. Intraperitoneal photodynamic therapy involves the use of light-sensitive agents in combination with radiation therapy in order to kill cancer cells.
In general, Dr. Fraker's research interests lie in new treatments for tumors, such as regional gene therapy and photodynamic therapy. He has authored many papers on his research that have been published in leading medical journals. He has also addressed a number of conferences, such as meetings of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the Society of Nuclear Medicine.
Among his clinical interests, he lists radiofrequency thermal ablation, gastrointestinal cancers and sarcomas, thyroid cancer and parathyroid disease, and pancreatic islet cell tumors. He also has an interest, as evidenced by his current research project, in using photodynamic therapy to treat intraperitoneal malignancies, including peritoneal mesothelioma.
Dr. Fraker is a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology, the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society of Gene Therapy, and many other organizations. He has also served on many committees for various organizations as well as being a consultant for the International School of Surgical Oncology.
Dr. Fraker is affiliated with three different University of Pennsylvania hospitals in Philadelphia. They are the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center/Presbyterian; Pennsylvania Hospital University PA Health System; and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.