David Harold Harpole Jr MD

Dr. David Harpole Jr. serves as a resident research director, professor of surgery, and associate professor of pathology, and is a key component of the comprehensive care Duke Cancer Center offers patients with mesothelioma.

Harpole first came to Duke for a general surgery internship after his graduation from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He stayed for a fellowship in thoracic surgical research. He then spent three years in Boston as an instructor at Harvard Medical School and as an associate in thoracic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he conducted research with the late mesothelioma expert Dr. David Sugarbaker.

Since coming to Duke in 1996, Harpole has focused on the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and esophageal cancer, as well as the creation of databases for the Duke thoracic oncology program.

In 2011, U.S. News and World Report recognized him as among the top 10% of U.S. doctors specializing in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.

Harpole’s contribution to mesothelioma and lung cancer research includes the evaluation of treatment procedures, experimentation with biomarkers, and management of the staging process. He has worked alongside experts in the field to publish studies that assist in understanding these cancers.

For example, Harpole and several colleagues conducted a study of imaging techniques for chest cavity abnormalities in 2002. They proposed that positron emission tomography (PET) scans fused with computed tomography (CT) scans could better recognize and locate abnormalities. The results of their study confirmed this hypothesis, providing a way for better staging of diseases, including lung cancer and mesothelioma.