Maree Azzopardi is a pulmonologist based in Perth, WA. Her work focuses on breathing health and the chest, especially when problems involve the lining around the lungs.
People often see a respiratory or lung doctor when symptoms don’t settle. This can include ongoing breathlessness, chest discomfort, a cough that keeps coming back, or feeling run down. Maree also looks after cases linked to pleural fluid, such as pleural effusion, where extra fluid builds up between the lung and the chest wall.
Over time, she helps manage infections and complications that can affect the pleura. Empyema is one example, where infection causes pus to collect in the chest. At times, this can be serious and needs careful planning with the right tests and treatment steps. Maree works through the details calmly, including what the scans and results may mean, and what can be done next.
Another part of her practice involves helping patients who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. This is a cancer that can affect the lining of the chest, and it often changes how breathing feels. When someone is dealing with this kind of diagnosis, support needs to be steady. Maree focuses on clear explanations and practical next steps, while also working alongside the wider team involved in cancer care.
Although she is a lung specialist, her clinical work also includes muscle invasive bladder cancer. In many cases, cancer care brings multiple specialists together, and her role is to support the overall health of the lungs and breathing, especially when treatments may affect breathing function.
Maree’s experience is based on looking after patients with complex chest conditions, including pleural problems and cancers that involve the chest lining. No matter the reason someone is referred, she aims to keep the process understandable and grounded, with care that matches what the patient is dealing with right now.