A team of specialists from disciplines throughout the medical center meets weekly to discuss lung cancer cases to create specific diagnostic and treatment recommendations. The team may recommend one or more of the following types of treatment:
Surgical oncology. The majority of lung cancer patients require some type of surgical procedure. Crozer surgeons follow current clinical guidelines and integrate the latest procedures, including Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS), which enables surgeons to perform procedures in a minimally invasive manner.
Medical oncology. Recent advances in the treatment of lung cancer patients include using chemotherapy along with combinations of targeted therapies, which block the growth and spread of cancer.
Radiation oncology. For lung cancer patients, radiation therapy may be used as a primary treatment, before surgery to shrink the tumor, after surgery to eliminate any cancer cells that remain in the treated area, and to treat lung cancer that has spread to the brain or other areas of the body. Crozer radiation oncologists also use the CyberKnife, a state-of-the-art radiosurgical tool for treating tumors that may not be suitable for traditional surgical procedures or traditional radiation therapy.
Interventional radiology. Interventional radiologists use a technique called radiofrequency ablation, in which a mild electrical current is sent through an inoperative tumor, effectively “cooking” the malignant growth and preventing its spread.