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Dr. Eric Vallieres

Thoracic Surgeon

Dr. Eric Vallieres is the medical director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the Swedish Medical Center in Washington. He has extensive experience treating patients with various conditions, including pleural mesothelioma. Dr. Vallieres believes in individualized treatment plans and strives to find the best therapies for each patient. Learn more about Dr. Vallieres and get our help connecting with him today.

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Overview

About Dr. Eric Vallieres

Dr. Eric Vallieres is a mesothelioma treatment specialist who serves as the medical director of the Swedish Medical Center’s Division of Thoracic Surgery.

“To find the right treatment for each individual that we meet and see [is] an exercise every single time. Every single time you have to go down the algorithm and make sure that you are taking this particular patient down the right path.”

- Dr. Eric Vallieres

Dr. Vallieres’ patients appreciate his time explaining conditions and treatment plans in simple, easy-to-understand, non-medical terms. He equips his patients with all the information they need to make informed decisions.

Dr. Vallieres is also bilingual, speaking both English and French.

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Dr. Vallieres’ Career Highlights

Throughout his career, Dr. Vallieres has:

  • Become one of the few U.S.-based surgeons to perform “SMART” therapy (which combines surgery and radiation to extend life expectancy in mesothelioma patients)
  • Contributed to nearly 200 articles in medical journals and publications
  • Received dozens of grants to further research into thoracic conditions and cancers
  • Served in senior roles at the Swedish Cancer Institute since 2004
  • Taken a multi-faceted approach to treating mesothelioma

Dr. Vallieres’ Background

Dr. Vallieres earned his medical degree at Laval University in Quebec before completing a general surgery residency and thoracic surgery fellowship at the University of Toronto. He then completed a second fellowship at the University of Bordeaux.

Following his formal medical education, Dr. Vallieres worked as a surgeon in Canada and was an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Alberta and the University of Ottawa.

He eventually moved to the United States, taking a role at the University of Washington School of Medicine for several years. He was awarded Teacher of the Year after his second year there.

In 2004, Dr. Vallieres joined the Swedish Medical Center in Seattle as surgical director of the Lung Cancer Program and medical director of the Thoracic Surgery Division.

“As a surgeon taking care of people diagnosed with lung cancer, the personal connections developed over the years is palpable and incredibly rewarding.”

- Dr. Eric Vallieres

At the Swedish Medical Center, he continues researching new therapies that will help improve length and quality of life and treat patients with utmost care.

Medical Specializations

Dr. Vallieres is a board-certified surgeon who specializes in non-cardiac thoracic surgery.

He has expertise in a wide range of lung and chest diseases, like:

  • Esophageal cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Mesothelioma
  • Pleural diseases

In his work on pleural mesothelioma, Dr. Vallieres has established himself as a leading authority on multimodal treatment approaches that combine several therapies.

For pleural mesothelioma patients, his approach typically combines a surgery called an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) with chemotherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy — a high-precision form of radiation therapy that delivers radiation doses to a precise point within a tumor.

Dr. Vallieres recognizes the importance of finding the right combination of treatments for each patient. He has participated in clinical research to help advance the medical community’s ability to develop optimal treatment strategies for mesothelioma and other types of cancer.

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Dr. Vallieres’ Career Accomplishments

Dr. Vallieres has helped advance the treatment of mesothelioma through EPPs, treatment research, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. His work has helped extend the lives of his patients and further the medical community’s knowledge of mesothelioma.

He is internationally recognized for his work with multimodal treatment plans for lung cancers, including mesothelioma.

Dr. Vallieres is one of the few surgeons in the United States to perform Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy (SMART), a mesothelioma treatment that applies a high dose of radiation to the lung before removing it entirely.

The SMART procedure applies a big dose of radiation to the lung before it is entirely removed. SMART has doubled the three-year survival rate for mesothelioma patients when compared to traditional multimodal approaches.

Awards & Honors

Dr. Vallieres’ professional awards and honors include:

  • America’s Top Doctors
  • America’s Top Doctors For Cancer
  • CMS Stage 1 EHR
  • Seattle Met Top Doctor Award
  • Teacher of The Year
  • 2023 Thoracic Surgery Top Doc Designation

Dr. Vallieres’ Current Work

Dr. Vallieres is the medical director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the Swedish Medical Center, where he works as a general and thoracic surgeon.

His areas of expertise include:

  • Esophageal cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Mesothelioma
  • Robotic surgery
  • Sarcoma

He continues his groundbreaking SMART mesothelioma treatment at the Swedish Medical Center — the first American hospital to adopt the therapy.

Dr. Vallieres is a member of professional organizations, such as:

  • Lung Committee Vice Chair – Southwest Oncology Group
  • General Thoracic Surgical Club (Member)
  • Royal College of Surgeons of Canada (Fellow)
  • Society of Thoracic Surgeons (Member)
  • Western Thoracic Surgical Association (Member)
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Notable Work by Dr. Vallieres

Dr. Vallieres researched the outcome of a malignant pleural mesothelioma treatment that took a trimodal approach, starting with induction chemotherapy, followed by an EPP and then one of two forms of radiotherapy — external beam radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy.

The study followed patients over 10 years to provide better treatment options for patients with mesothelioma.

Dr. Vallieres concluded that this trimodal approach to treating malignant pleural mesothelioma was safe, with an acceptably low-risk rate.

He also noted that external beam radiotherapy might be the more effective form of radiation in this trimodal recipe.

Dr. Vallieres’ Healing Philosophy

Dr. Vallieres describes his philosophy of care as “empowering my patients with information so that they can make the best decision regarding the treatment of their cancer or disease.”

This approach to healing can be seen throughout his career, as he has dedicated himself to understanding and treating thoracic disorders and cancers, including mesothelioma.

He also champions personalized treatment plans that identify the best therapies for each patient instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

“As a surgeon, I think if you spend the time in that first encounter to explain things very meticulously, every step of the process, and explain to them what the options are, we can individualize their treatment so that I can offer him or her the treatment that he or she deserves.”

- Dr. Eric Vallieres

Dr. Vallieres previously served on the Surgery Quality Review Committee at the Swedish Medical Center, where he held his peers to an extraordinarily high standard of patient respect and care.

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Mesothelioma Hope has no affiliation with and is not endorsed or sponsored by Dr. Eric Vallieres. Any contact information listed is for informational purposes only. You have the right to contact Dr. Eric Vallieres directly.

Jenna TozziWritten by:

Director of Patient Advocacy

Jenna Tozzi, RN, is the Director of Patient Advocacy at Mesothelioma Hope. With more than 15 years of experience as an adult and pediatric oncology nurse navigator, Jenna provides exceptional guidance and support to mesothelioma patients and their loved ones. Jenna has been featured in Oncology Nursing News and is a member of the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators & the American Nurses Association.

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References
  1. CTSNet. (n.d.) Eric Vallieres, M.D. Retrieved from: https://www.ctsnet.org/home/evallieres. Accessed on February 22, 2024.
  2. LinkedIn. (n.d.) Eric Vallieres. Retrieved from: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-vallieres-8800b619. Accessed on February 22, 2024.
  3. Swedish Medical Center. (n.d.) Eric Vallieres, M.D., FRCSC. Retrieved from: https://schedule.swedish.org/doctors/thoracic-surgical-oncology/wa/seattle/eric-vallieres-1881750743. Accessed on February 22, 2024.
  4. Swedish Medical Center. (n.d.) Thoracic Cancer Care. Retrieved from: https://www.swedish.org/services/cancer/thoracic-cancer. Accessed on February 22, 2024.
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