Langer is director of thoracic oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia, which utilizes the most up-to-date technology and some of the world’s most cutting-edge therapies for its patients.
He wants everyone else to share in those advances, too.
Langer has clinical expertise in many thoracic malignancies, including lung cancers and mesothelioma, which is caused by an exposure to asbestos. He also worked with head, neck and thyroid cancers. Medical advances made at Penn make more determined to ensure the best possible care for everyone who comes to the hospital.
“Our goal is to bring advanced science to the local level. More than 80 percent of cancer care in the United States occurs in communities,” he said. “Our goal is to export those advances so that patients outside the main campus can benefit without leaving home. There is no reason why progress in molecular medicine should be confined to academic centers.”