lung treat

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Comprehensive Lung Cancer Care Program

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center provides state-of-the-art, evidence-based care to people with lung cancer.

We combine the skills and experience of doctors and other health care staff in an interdisciplinary and coordinated way.

Every type of cancer treatment — traditional and novel — is within our scope of expertise.

Your Lung Cancer Care Team

Your lung cancer treatment team includes:

  • Thoracic surgeons
  • Medical oncologists
  • Radiation oncologists
  • Pulmonologists
  • Pathologists

A care coordinator will act as the point person for the team. He or she will review your history and make appointments based on the team's treatment advice.

Treating the Whole Person

At UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, we believe that effective treatment of cancer begins with a focus on the patient.

Our experts collaborate closely and consider more than just the stage or type of cancer. We also take into account factors that affect your wellbeing.

We offer a range of services that can make your lung cancer treatments more effective and help you feel more at ease.

These supportive care services can help patients and their families prepare for and manage lung cancer treatment and recovery:

  • Behavioral medicine — psychologists and psychiatrists can help you and your family make a plan for meeting the challenges of cancer.
  • Nutrition — our diet and nutrition health experts can help you craft a plan to regain or maintain your health.
  • Pain management — pain experts work to relieve acute and chronic pain associated with cancer treatment.
  • Palliative care— this service aims to improve the quality of life for patients whose lung cancers are no longer responding to curative treatments.
  • Social support — social workers and others can help you manage the practical aspects of living with cancer.
  • Interpreter services — interpreters are here to help international patients and others with language barriers understand the treatment process.

These specialists work side by side with your treatment team to ensure the focus is on you — not the disease.

We also offer chances to take part in clinical trials of lung cancer treatments that may not be available elsewhere.

Lung Cancer Diagnostic and Screening Services

UPMC's Department of Pathology — one of the leading programs in the country — is a vital part of your multidisciplinary treatment team.

Pathology experts assist your care team in deciding the best treatment using state-of-the-art diagnostic tools such as:

  • Bronchoscopic biopsy
  • Endobronchial ultrasound
  • Needle biopsy
  • Radiographic evaluation

Thoracic surgeons may also perform a minimally invasive biopsy of the lung lesion.

The type and stage of your lung cancer, along with results revealed during the diagnostic process, will shape your treatment plan.

Your care team works with your referring doctor to propose:

  • Surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy
  • A mix of treatment approaches

Surgery for Lung Cancer

UPMC surgeons have expertise in a number of highly specialized technologies and surgical methods to remove tumors of the lung.

These include:

  • Radiofrequency ablation
  • Specific techniques for mesothelioma
  • Stereotactic radiosurgery
  • Sublobar resection (wedge resection) and intraoperative brachytherapy
  • Video-assisted thoracic surgical (VATS) lobectomy

Chemotherapy for Lung Cancer

Our medical oncologists offer a full range of chemo and biologic therapies for all types and stages of lung cancer.

We also offer patients the chance to enter into clinical trials. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is the region's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer

Patients of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center have access to the largest variety of advanced radiation therapies available in western Pennsylvania.

Radiation planning and delivery systems we use include:

Lung Cancer Prognosis and Outcomes

Your prognosis will depend on many factors, such as:

  • Your diagnosis.
  • Your overall health.
  • How well your care team expects your lung cancer treatment plan to work.

We will always work at the highest level toward achieving the best outcome possible.

Contact Us About Lung Cancer Care

To learn more about lung cancer care or to make an appointment, you can: