Who Is Dr. Eugene Choi?
Dr. Eugene Choi is an experienced surgical oncologist (cancer doctor) with over 20 years of experience. He treats veterans with mesothelioma at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston.
Dr. Choi specializes in treating peritoneal mesothelioma — the second-most common type of this cancer, which forms in the peritoneum (lining of the abdomen).
Dr. Choi also treats civilians facing a mesothelioma diagnosis at Baylor College of Medicine, which has partnered with the DeBakey VA and is one of the top cancer centers in the United States.
The Mesothelioma Veterans Center can help you find top mesothelioma specialists like Dr. Choi right now. Use our downloadable Questions to Ask a Mesothelioma Doctor Checklist to get started.
- Finding Top Treatments
- Affording Treatments
- Joining a Clinical Trial
Dr. Eugene Choi’s Mesothelioma Treatment Approach
Dr. Choi typically uses a combination of surgery and chemotherapy known as cytoreduction with HIPEC to treat peritoneal mesothelioma in veterans.
This is considered the gold standard for treating peritoneal mesothelioma, and patients who undergo this treatment can often become long-term survivors, especially if their surgeon can remove all of the cancer.
“As a surgeon, especially for peritoneal mesothelioma, I have to ask two questions for myself. One, how much disease does the patient have, and two, can I get it all out?”
— Dr. Eugene Choi, peritoneal mesothelioma doctor
Dr. Choi also collaborates closely with other oncologists on staff who can administer other mesothelioma treatments like chemotherapy and radiation to help veterans.
This is very important as many patients require a multimodal treatment plan in which more than one therapy is used for best results.
For example, some patients who are more frail or who have advanced disease may need chemotherapy to shrink cancer tumors before surgery is attempted. Or, chemotherapy can be used after Dr. Choi operates to kill microscopic cancer cells left behind.
Call (877) 450-8973 to get help finding the best mesothelioma doctors and health plan for your case. We can connect you with skilled mesothelioma specialists in your area.
Dr. Eugene Choi’s Medical Background
Dr. Choi has over 20 years of experience in helping patients with peritoneal mesothelioma and other gastrointestinal ailments.
He earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 1997 before completing several residencies and fellowships at:
- University of Chicago
- University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Dr. Choi currently treats civilians at Baylor College of Medicine and veterans at Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. These facilities are located across the street from each other in Houston. He has been splitting his time between both locations since 2019.
Besides his work as a cancer surgeon, Dr. Choi is also an Associate Professor of Surgery at Baylor, where he helps teach the next generation of mesothelioma doctors.
Dr. Eugene Choi’s Work With Other Mesothelioma Doctors
Dr. Choi first began treating peritoneal mesothelioma at the University of Chicago under the direction of Dr. Hedy Lee Kindler, a top mesothelioma surgeon.
He also collaborated closely with the late Dr. David Sugarbaker — world-renowned for his treatment of pleural mesothelioma (which forms in the lung lining) — when he first arrived at Baylor.
While Dr. Sugarbaker treated pleural mesothelioma, he and Dr. Choi would work together if a patient’s cancer was in the linings of both the abdomen and lungs (bicavitary disease).
Today, Dr. Choi treats mesothelioma with an entire team of other health care providers at his side, ensuring patients get the best care.
“As a member of a multidisciplinary cancer care team, Dr. Choi works closely with other skilled specialists from medical and radiation oncology to offer the most complete care possible.”
— Baylor College of Medicine
We can help you find top mesothelioma doctors who can assist you or a loved one after a diagnosis. Start the process now with our free Questions to Ask a Mesothelioma Doctor Checklist.
- Finding Top Treatments
- Affording Treatments
- Joining a Clinical Trial
Dr. Eugene Choi’s Publications
Dr. Choi has co-published several studies about mesothelioma patients in well-respected medical journals.
Some of these publications include:
- “Pleurectomy and decortication are associated with better survival for bicavitary cytoreductive surgery for mesothelioma compared with extrapleural pneumonectomy,” published by The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in 2023
- “Diagnostic Laparoscopy Improves Staging of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma With Routine Positron Emission Tomography Imaging,” published by The Annals of Thoracic Surgery in 2021
Some of Dr. Choi’s co-authors on these studies include other surgeons who treat patients at Baylor and the DeBakey VA, including Dr. Lorraine Cornwell and Dr. Taylor Ripley.
Professional Experience & Awards
Dr. Choi has won many awards over the years for his contributions to the medical community. Notably, he has board certifications in general surgery from the American Board of Surgery and surgical oncology from the Society of Surgical Oncology.
Other awards include:
- 2023 Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching and Evaluation from Norton Rose Fullbright
- 2023 Star Faculty Award for Excellence in Patient Care from Baylor College of Medicine
- American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant Recipient from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine
- American Society of Clinical Oncology Foundation Merit Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Clinical Excellence Award from his clinical fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Excellence in Clinical Training from the University of Chicago, Department of Surgery
Dr. Eugene Choi’s Patients
Thanks to the care provided by Dr. Choi and his team at Baylor College of Medicine, many peritoneal mesothelioma patients, including veterans, have lived longer, higher-quality lives.
Additionally, patient satisfaction under Dr. Choi is consistently high among his patients, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Patients consider Dr. Choi to be:
- An excellent communicator who ensures everyone is on the same page before making a decision
- Compassionate, approachable, and knowledgeable
- Helpful in creating customized primary care plans that best meet the needs of each patient
Patients can also be assured that Dr. Choi has the experience and dedication to treat their cancer properly.
While he is equally capable of treating other gastrointestinal cancers, he mainly treats peritoneal mesothelioma in his work at Baylor and the DeBakey VA.
“Peritoneal mesothelioma patients are actually the most patients that I deal with now as opposed to appendiceal or colorectal patients.”
— Dr. Eugene Choi, peritoneal mesothelioma doctor
Further, veterans with VA health care don’t have to worry about the costs of getting care from Dr. Choi. This is because the VA typically rates mesothelioma as a total, 100% disability and charges little to no copays.
We can help veterans with VA benefits increase their disability rating to 100% after a mesothelioma diagnosis so they can get low-cost medical care. Get started now for free.
Connect With Skilled VA Mesothelioma Doctors
Dr. Eugene Choi’s personalized approach to cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC has helped many peritoneal mesothelioma patients live longer.
If you’re looking for the best cancer doctor for your case, work with the Mesothelioma Veterans Center now. Our staff has relationships with top mesothelioma doctors across the country and can help find a specialist close to you.
Further, we’ve helped many other veterans get appointments and treatments faster than going it alone — which is important as mesothelioma can spread very quickly.
Get started finding top mesothelioma specialists like Dr. Eugene Choi now: Call (877) 450-8973 or download our Free Questions to Ask a Mesothelioma Doctor Checklist.
