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Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Program Opens at Deborah According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, accounting for 28 percent of all cancer deaths; more patients die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. The Society also estimates that, during 2003, American men and women will develop 171,900 new cases of lung cancer. Only with early detection and treatment can the survival rates for many of these patients increase. This fact, coupled with those frightening statistics, clearly illustrates the dramatic need for early detection and effective treatment of lung cancer. To help meet that need, Deborah Heart and Lung Center recently announced its Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Program, which brings together physicians from related disciplines to review patient data and determine the course of treatment that would most benefit each patient. These physicians - pulmonologists, radiologists, surgeons, nuclear medicine physicians, pathologists, and medical and radiation oncologists - meet in Deborah’s Department of Pulmonary Medicine on the second and fourth Friday of each month, combining their expertise in their respective disciplines for the benefit of patients in the Program. |
“The multidisciplinary aspect of this Program is what makes it unique,” stated David Murphy, MD, Chair, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Facilitator, Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Program. “Each case is presented to the group, and the physicians conference to determine the absolute best treatment option for each patient. Because of the varying specialties of the doctors involved, and the nature of the discussion between them, the recommendations made to each patient are tailored and crafted specifically to his or her unique stage of disease.” To be referred to the Program, patients must have a diagnosis of lung cancer or other malignant lung disease, made by a referring physician or a Deborah pulmonologist, and can be at any stage of treatment of the disease. Admittance into the Program will be followed by a complete work-up (variable depending on the patient’s status and any testing or treatment that has already been completed), which could include any of the following tests for diagnosis and staging of the disease: CAT scan of the chest; bronchoscopy; pulmonary function study; PET scan; lung scan; pulmonary exercise test; bone scan; surgical consultation; and cardiac consultation for clearance to proceed with treatment. |
Patients in the Program who are determined to be strong surgical candidates will be referred to Deborah Heart and Lung Center’s Department of Surgery for the recommended procedure. Currently, Cardiothoracic Surgeons William Anderson, MD, and Arthur Ng, MD, perform all surgical procedures available to treat lung cancer. The multidisciplinary team may discuss whether the patient would also benefit from chemotherapy or radiation. Patients determined to be candidates for radiation or chemotherapy, or who need one of these treatments pre- or postoperatively, are referred to a qualified treatment center close to the patients’ residence. Because these services can often require daily or weekly trips to the location, this option is particularly beneficial for patients: they can remain near home for convenience, while knowing they have been referred to a reputable center. “More studies are showing that combinations of treatments are working to better treat lung cancer, such as administering radiation therapy, chemotherapy or both preoperatively,” expressed Dr. Murphy. “Patients benefit from Deborah’s Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Program because the physicians involved in all areas of their diagnosis and treatment are working together from the beginning, with one goal: to provide each patient with the most up to date treatment program.” |
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