Lung Cancer
The lung cancer team of expert pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists and pathologists assesses each individual patient’s disease and work with you to develop a personalized care plan.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of lung cancer are:
- A cough that does not go away or gets worse
- Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm)
- Chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing or laughing
- Hoarseness
- Loss of appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired or weak
- Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that don’t go away or keep coming back
- New onset of wheezing
Diagnosis and Testing
If your doctor thinks you might have lung cancer based on the results of a screening test or because of symptoms you are having, he or she will do exams and tests to find out for sure.
- Chest X-ray
- Sputum cytology
- EBUS (endobronchial ultrasound)
- ENB (electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy) testing
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
Make an Appointment
Find a location close to home and make an appointment today.
Low-Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) is a screening test that detects unusual changes in the lungs before a high-risk individual shows any signs of having lung cancer. The test scans for lung nodules, but does not determine if the nodule is benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). The radiologist (the doctor reading the CT scan) will make a recommendation and your primary doctor or nurse practitioner will determine, what, if any, follow up care is needed.
- Age 55-77
- Current smoker or has quit smoking with the past 15 years
- Smoking history of at least 30 pack years
- 1 pack of cigarettes per day for 30 years
- 2 packs of cigarettes per day for 15 years
- Has no symptoms of lung cancer
Treatment
Doctors use information about the type of lung cancer and stage to plan treatment and to monitor progress of treatment. There are several ways to treat lung cancer. The treatment depends on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy. People with lung cancer often get more than one kind of treatment.
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Targeted therapy
- Clinical trials