Dr. Bernard J. Park

Dr. Bernard J. Park, MD, is a thoracic surgeon specializing in the surgical treatment of non-heart chest diseases, including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, mediastinal tumors such as thymoma, chest wall tumors, and malignant pleural mesothelioma, with particular expertise in advanced lung and esophageal cancers. Based at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he performs more than 300 surgeries per year and sees close to 1,000 patients annually in the clinic. His interest in thoracic surgical oncology began during his surgical residency at Cornell University, where a rotation on the Thoracic Service at MSK exposed him to outstanding multidisciplinary care and inspired his career path. He works closely with colleagues across medical oncology, radiation oncology, and anatomic and molecular pathology to develop individualized treatment plans aimed at improving patient outcomes and quality of life.

Dr. Park is recognized as one of the world's experts in advanced robotic surgical techniques for early and advanced thoracic malignancies, including lung, esophageal, and thymic cancers. He pioneered the development of robotic lobectomy, a minimally invasive approach to removing a lobe of the lung in patients with localized lung cancer, and regularly offers minimally invasive options where many surgeons would turn to traditional open thoracotomy. His practice also incorporates lung-preserving segmentectomy for early-stage lung cancer, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), endobronchial ultrasound, navigational bronchoscopy, and advanced airway procedures for both diagnosis and management of thoracic cancers. MSK's comprehensive molecular testing program informs systemic treatment decisions, and Dr. Park is actively involved in clinical trials evaluating genomically guided combinations of targeted therapies, chemotherapies, and immunotherapies given before surgery for locally advanced lung cancers.

Beyond his surgical practice, Dr. Park conducts outcomes research to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care, and works to establish standards for training and credentialing in robotic thoracic surgery. He is deeply committed to patient-centered care, reassuring patients and their families that aggressive treatment of their condition can be balanced with minimizing pain, preserving quality of life, and maintaining function. Outside of medicine, he enjoys traveling to favorite destinations including Cape Cod, California, and the Caribbean with his wife and three children. He stays active playing tennis and golf and relaxes with films and books, with a particular fondness for crime novels, including those by author Harlan Coben.