
Overview
With over 20 years of experience as a busy general thoracic surgeon, I am referred patients with cancers in the chest and other difficult problems involving all the organs of the chest that are not from cancer. One of the things that attracted me to the field is the long-term relationship with my patients. I tell all my patients that I’m their doctor for life. I see patients for many, many years. Back in 2000, when we had a 26-inch snow here -- it was a Tuesday -- on my clinic day, everyone said no one would come to clinic. But I actually had 23 or 24 patients show up in four-wheel drives. It’s not that I’m such a fabulous doctor that they came to see me. It’s that they are cancer patients and this was their annual visit or their follow up. It was important to them. So we were here for them, and they came. I enjoy seeing my patients back 12, 13, 14 years later and learning what they’ve been up to and what their families have been up to. That’s a bond you get in oncology that a lot of other fields don’t have that treat patients then turn them back over to their primary care physicians. We as a team follow people, and I like that.
Dr. Harpole is highly rated in 14 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Endoscopy, and Advanced Bronchoscopy.
His clinical research consists of co-authoring 113 peer reviewed articles and participating in 1 clinical trial. MediFind looks at clinical research from the past 15 years.
Insurance
Accepted insurance can change. Please verify directly with the provider.
Accepted insurance plans:
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- PPO
- HMO
- INDEMNITY
- POS
- PPO
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE SNP
- MEDICARE-MEDICAID PLAN
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- HMO
- POS
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
Locations
20 Duke Medicine Cir, Durham, NC 27710
3404 Wake Forest Rd, Decatur, GA 30034
20 Duke Medicine Cir, Durham, NC 27710
Clinical Research
Clinical research consists of overseeing clinical studies of patients undergoing new treatments and therapies, and publishing articles in peer reviewed medical journals. Providers who actively participate in clinical research are generally at the forefront of the fields and aware of the most up-to-date advances in treatments for their patients.
1 Clinical Trials
Duke Health Integrated Practice Inc
Carmelo Milano is a Thoracic Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Milano is highly rated in 12 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Tricuspid Regurgitation, Constrictive Pericarditis, Heart Tumor, Heart Transplant, and Heart Bypass Surgery. Dr. Milano is currently accepting new patients.
Duke Health Integrated Practice Inc
Betty Tong is a Thoracic Surgeon in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Tong is highly rated in 12 conditions, according to our data. Her top areas of expertise are Lung Cancer, Lung Nodules, Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Vagotomy, and Advanced Bronchoscopy. Dr. Tong is currently accepting new patients.
Duke Health Integrated Practice Inc
Jacob Klapper is a Thoracic Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Klapper is highly rated in 16 conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Fibrosing Mediastinitis, Esophageal Perforation, Lung Cancer, Lung Transplant, and Thymectomy. Dr. Klapper is currently accepting new patients.
Areas of Expertise
MediFind evaluates expertise by pulling from factors such as number of articles a doctor has published in medical journals, participation in clinical trials, speaking at industry conferences, prescribing and referral patterns, and strength of connections with other experts in their field.
Learn more about MediFind’s expert tiers
- Elite
- Lung CancerDr. Harpole isElite. Learn about Lung Cancer.
- MesotheliomaDr. Harpole isElite. Learn about Mesothelioma.
- Distinguished
- ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung CancerDr. Harpole isDistinguished. Learn about ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
- Lung NodulesDr. Harpole isDistinguished. Learn about Lung Nodules.
- Metastatic Pleural TumorDr. Harpole isDistinguished. Learn about Metastatic Pleural Tumor.
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)Dr. Harpole isDistinguished. Learn about Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).
- Pleuropulmonary BlastomaDr. Harpole isDistinguished. Learn about Pleuropulmonary Blastoma.
- Squamous Cell Lung CarcinomaDr. Harpole isDistinguished. Learn about Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma.
- Advanced
- EGFR Positive Lung CancerDr. Harpole isAdvanced. Learn about EGFR Positive Lung Cancer.
- Esophageal CancerDr. Harpole isAdvanced. Learn about Esophageal Cancer.
- Esophageal PerforationDr. Harpole isAdvanced. Learn about Esophageal Perforation.
- Lung AdenocarcinomaDr. Harpole isAdvanced. Learn about Lung Adenocarcinoma.
- PneumomediastinumDr. Harpole isAdvanced. Learn about Pneumomediastinum.
- Subcutaneous EmphysemaDr. Harpole isAdvanced. Learn about Subcutaneous Emphysema.
- Experienced
- Advanced BronchoscopyDr. Harpole isExperienced. Learn about Advanced Bronchoscopy.
- Collapsed LungDr. Harpole isExperienced. Learn about Collapsed Lung.
- EmphysemaDr. Harpole isExperienced. Learn about Emphysema.
- EndoscopyDr. Harpole isExperienced. Learn about Endoscopy.
- Fibrosing MediastinitisDr. Harpole isExperienced. Learn about Fibrosing Mediastinitis.
- GastrostomyDr. Harpole isExperienced. Learn about Gastrostomy.

