Douglas Letson, M.D.

G. Douglas Letson, MD is a Professor of Oncology, Surgery, Radiology and Orthopaedics at Moffitt Cancer Center. His main role is to serve as the Division Chief of the Sarcoma Program Chair of Medical Education and Director of Musculoskeletal Tumor and Reconstructive Surgery at Moffitt Cancer Center. He is also the Residency Program Director of the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, at the University of South Florida.

Dr. Letson received his medical degree and completed an orthopaedic residency at Louisiana State University. He continued on to complete a Musculoskeletal Tumor Surgery Fellowship at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Since the inception of his career, Dr. Letson has established academic programs and research collaborations, which include:

1. Founder & Chair of the Moffitt Cancer center Sarcoma Program, 1995-present
2. Founder & Course Director of the Musculoskeletal Oncology Review, Florida Keys Course, 2000-present
3. Founder & Course Director of the Musculoskeletal Oncology Review, Oxford, England Course, 2008-2010
4. Founder & Principal Investigator of the Sunshine Project, Phase I Trial Drugs for children 2006-present
5. Founder & Director of the Amandalee Research Foundation, 2004-present
6. Founder & Program Director of the USF Orthopaedic Residency Program, 2007-present

Dr. Letson's clinical practice employs an interdisciplinary approach to treating musculoskeletal tumors for patients ranging from pediatrics to advance age. He has extensive clinical experience in the areas of pediatric and adult limb salvage in both bone and soft tissue tumors. His clinical interests have a strong scientific focus in the development of segmental prosthesis, new hinge designs and soft tissue attachment to metallic prosthesis. His interests also expand into the development of novel drugs for the treatment of sarcomas, specifically in the development of pediatric drugs, which he collaborates on with the Children's Oncology Group.

Dr. Letson is an active member in multiple orthopaedic and oncology societies such as, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), American Orthopedic Association (AOA), Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MTST) and Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS). He has served on the editorial board of several orthopaedic journals, including Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the Cancer Control Journal.

He has over 30 peer reviewed journal articles published for orthopaedics, oncology and radiology. He has written multiple book chapters, which include:

1. Surgical Treatment for Osteosarcoma. Imaging of Bone Tumors; A Multimodality Approach
2. Evaluation of the Child with a Bone or Soft-Tissue Neoplasm. Orthopaedic Clinics of North America
3. Appropriate Follow-up of Orthopaedic Oncology Patients. Instructional Course Lecture
4. Surgery and Arthritis. Imaging of Arthritis and Related Conditions
5. Infections in Sarcoma Patients. Infections in Cancer Patients.
6. The Pathology, Orthopaedics, and Radiology of Musculoskeletal Tumors

Dr. Letson is an internationally renowned speaker with multiple national and international presentations. He has presented over 200 lectures around the world including at AAOS, CTOS, MSTS, FOS, COG, ISOLS, on his developments in multiple oncology systems for skeletal reconstruction and surgical techniques in limb salvage surgery. He has been invited to talk for the Orthopaedic Academies, which include United States of America, Mexico, Columbia, Italy and England.

He and his partner, Dr. David Cheong, are the only physicians in the United States who have implanted a non-invasive expandable prosthesis in children. He is the lead designer developing a navigational system, which is developed specifically for image guided orthopaedic oncology surgery. Listed below are medical products that are either in development or have been developed and implemented by Dr. Letson.

1. Biomet, Letson Proximal Femoral Replacement for Tumor Reconstruction
2. Zimmer, RHK Rotating Hinge Knee for Adult Reconstruction
3. Stryker, Lead Designer for Oncology Implants
4. Stryker, Lead Designer Computer Navigation for tumor surgery
5. Ethicon, Designing a muscle stapler for tumor surgery

Dr. Letson has a strong belief in helping patients, continuing education and family morals.