The care and treatment of patients with lung cancers is coordinated by physicians from Thoracic Surgery, Pulmonary Medicine, Radiation Oncology, and Medical Oncology. Patients are initially evaluated in a Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Clinic . Patients with suspected neoplasms, but without definitive diagnosis, are initially evaluated by a pulmonologist, and a bronchoscopy or other diagnostic biopsy is obtained. Patients also receive consultation with a thoracic surgeon, radiation oncologist, or medical oncologist during the same visit.
Patient care is discussed and planned in a patient care conference.
With locally advanced disease that is not operable, combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been used to control the disease in some patients. Bronchoscopy Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Treatment Services Thoracic surgery including mediastinoscopy, thoracoscopy, and thoracotomy are available from the thoracic surgery service. Radiation therapy with up to a 25MeV linear accelerator and endobronchial brachytherapy is used when needed. Pulmonary Medicine and the Department of Radiology provide bronchoscopy and fine needle aspirate for diagnosis, while chemotherapy and immunotherapy are available via Medical Oncology.