Our medical specialists design customized programs tailored to each patient’s needs that take advantage of the most advanced procedures and technologies available. Some of these treatment options are described below.
Surgery
Surgery to remove tumors can improve outcomes for lung cancer, particularly when combined with other treatments to minimize the risk of recurrence.
In addition to traditional surgical techniques, City of Hope surgeons are highly skilled in robotic-assisted surgery, using the most advanced da Vinci Surgical System. This system can achieve excellent results in complex lung operations. A surgeon directs and controls the movements of a specially designed robot, equipped with a camera and miniature surgical tools. At the same time, a sophisticated computerized imaging system provides real-time three-dimensional views of the surgical area, with better visualization than can be achieved with the surgeon’s eye alone.
- - Our health professionals believe that patients who have been considered a surgical risk at other hospitals may benefit from a special “prehabilitation” program of exercise, oxygen therapy and medication. The goal is to improve respiratory health, making a patient a more favorable surgical candidate with an improved chance for survival as well as improved vigor and well-being.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays and other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. At City of Hope lung cancer patients may be treated using helical TomoTherapy, an advanced radiation therapy system that combines two powerful treatment technologies: precision spiral computed tomography scanning and intensity modulated radiation therapy. This combination allows doctors to deliver an intense dose of energy that matches the shape of the tumor precisely. The system not only provides more effective therapy, it reduces unwanted exposure of normal tissues and reduces potential complications.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy lung cancer cells by interfering with their growth and reproduction. Fractionated dose chemotherapy, the latest advance in delivering anticancer drugs, allows the total chemotherapy dose to be divided into smaller amounts given over several days. This helps doctors to reduce unwanted side effects while maintaining therapeutic benefits.
Many new and promising chemotherapy drugs are being tested at City of Hope in research studies called clinical trials. Your team will help determine whether one of these studies may be appropriate for you.
Endobronchial Brachytherapy
This form of internal radiation treatment can be used to relieve symptoms such as airway obstruction or hemoptysis (coughing up blood). A tiny radioactive seed is inserted through a catheter tube temporarily inserted into the airway. The seed delivers a high dose of targeted radiation treatment that destroys the cancer cells, after which it is removed. Treatments may be repeated, and may also be combined with laser ablation (described below).
Laser Ablation
High-energy laser light can help destroy malignant tissue and reopen obstructed airways. The procedure is generally done under general anesthesia.
Electrocautery
This procedure uses electrical energy to cut and destroy tumor tissue.
