Thoracic Oncology Division comprises a specialized team of professionals who are dedicated to preventing, diagnosing, treating, and managing lung cancer and other malignancies of the chest, including cancer of the esophagus, thymus, and mediastinum (the space in the chest between the sacs containing the lungs). The division brings together experts in medical oncology, radiation oncology, thoracic surgery, radiology, pulmonology, and nursing. This specialized approach to treating thoracic cancers provides patients with the exact type of services they need to battle the disease and its physical, emotional, and social side effects.

The Thoracic Oncology Division Team

HARRY D. HARPER, M.D.

Division Chief, Hematologist/ Oncologist

Harry D. Harper, M.D., is co-chief of the Division of Thoracic Oncology at The Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center. Dr. Harper is skilled in treating all thoracic cancers, especially lung cancer, which is the most common type of thoracic cancer seen at The Cancer Center. His expertise in lung cancer includes treating small cell, non-small cell (epidermoid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma), and pleural mesothelioma, and uncommon types, such as carcinoid, cylindrome, mucoepidermoid, and malignant mesothelioma. Dr. Harper's research has been published in several medical journals, including Cancer, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and the Journal of General Virology.

• Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College
• Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City
• Consultant, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City
• Medical Education: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (with honors)
• Internship:Internal medicine, New York Hospital
• Residency:Internal medicine, New York Hospital
• Fellowship: Clinical fellowship in hematology/oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; research fellowship in veterinary oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• Board Certifications: Medical oncology, hematology, internal medicine
• Specializations:medical oncology, hematology. Hematologist/oncologist Harry D. Harper, M.D., specializes in the treatment of thoracic cancers, including lung, mediastinal (affecting the space between the lungs), upper chest, thymus, and esophageal cancers. Dr. Harper collaborates with other thoracic surgeons and radiation oncologists at The Cancer Center to provide optimal care for patients with thoracic cancers.
• Research Interests: Topics in hematology/oncology
• Honors/Awards:National Merit Scholar, Alpha Omega Alpha Award (National Medical Honor Society). Dr. Harper's research has been published in several medical journals, including Cancer, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and the Journal of General Virology. He is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Oncology Society of New Jersey, and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

Memberships: American College of Physicians, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Oncology Society of New Jersey, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

BERNARD PARK, M.D.

Co-Division Chief 

Internationally recognized surgeon Bernard Park, M.D. brings more than 17 years of experience in thoracic oncology, treating lung and esophageal cancers, lung metastases, and mediastinal cancers to the John Theurer Cancer Center. 

Dr. Park is one of the world’s leaders in robotic video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy, a minimally invasive lung surgery which can decrease recovery time. He published one of the first large studies of robotic lobectomies using the DaVinci™ surgical robot and regularly uses VATS to perform a wide variety of thoracic surgeries, such as lobectomy, segmentecomy, thymectomy and metastasectomy.  Dr. Park is board-certified in cardiothoracic surgery specializing in general thoracic surgery. He completed his residency and a fellowship at New York Presbyterian Hospital at Weill Cornell Medical Center before going on to additional fellowships at the Mayo Clinic and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.