Our Approach & Expertise

Our Support Service We understand that life is different after a diagnosis of lung cancer more

Communication between patients and caregivers is a priority at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. Our medical staff understands that lung cancer is a disease that can be overwhelming, particularly because of the difficulties related to impaired breathing. We have experts skilled in identifying and treating the various symptoms and complications associated with lung cancer, including the emotional and psychological aspects of living with this disease. Our Integrative Medicine Service offers a range of support services to help lung cancer patients control symptoms and enhance their quality of life. And because we believe that treating the whole person, not just the disease, Memorial-Sloan Kettering also offers a number of emotional support programs.

Surgical Experience

When it comes to the surgical treatment of lung cancer, the surgeons at Memorial Sloan-Kettering have extensive experience and knowledge. Because they specialize in lung cancer surgery, they have the expertise to be extraordinarily precise in removing the cancer while preserving as much normal lung tissue and function as possible. Our surgeons are also expert in the use of minimally invasive surgical techniques such as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy and robotically assisted lobectomy, both of which minimize postoperative pain and speed a patient's recovery from surgery. ¹

Our Publications Visit PubMed for our journal articles from our lung cancer experts go

Even if the surgeon removes all visible tumor, chemotherapy given after surgery, called adjuvant chemotherapy, is offered to improve the rate of cure. We administer adjuvant chemotherapy even when there is no detectable cancer in order to kill any microscopic cancer cells that may remain after surgery. For patients with tumors that can be removed surgically and that are large in size or that have spread to nearby lymph glands, adjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to improve survival and cure rates.

For patients whose lung tumors have spread to lymph nodes inside the chest but whose tumors can still be surgically removed, a program of chemotherapy that takes place before surgery, called neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, has doubled the five-year survival rate. Partially pioneered at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, this treatment has also, for the first time, cured patients with some forms of lung cancer who would not have been cured by surgery alone. In some cases, the cancer has been reduced or completely eliminated with chemotherapy before the patient has even had surgery. Because of these promising results, doctors at Memorial Sloan-Kettering are now testing this approach with new chemotherapy drugs and targeted therapies, and are also offering this treatment to patients with large tumors that have not yet spread to the lymph nodes.

Latest Advances in Radiation Oncology

Our radiation oncologists use the following therapies to treat various forms of lung cancer: 3-D conformal radiation therapy; intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), also known as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT); and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), a form of SBRT that is combined with 4-dimensional image-guidance scanning technology and that usually requires fewer treatments than older forms of radiation therapy. These new techniques deliver the highest possible radiation dose targeted precisely to the tumor while minimizing radiation exposure to normal lung tissue and other organs in the chest.

Find A Clinical Trial Find out about new research studies for lung cancer more

Because our physicians are also researchers in their respective fields, they are aware of the latest discoveries and studies related to the care of lung cancer patients. Our approach to care includes ongoing team-wide discussions of new advances and studies that may be appropriate for individual patients with lung cancer. Some patients may be offered the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial if our team of physicians believes there is a good chance for an improved outcome.

Imaging

Memorial Sloan-Kettering's radiology department possesses the latest imaging equipment, including computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET). CT scanning is often used to diagnose and stage lung cancer. A combined PET/CT scan is also often used to detect metabolic activity of a tumor and identify lymph node involvement and sites of metastases. Memorial Sloan-Kettering was one of the first centers to integrate PET imaging into the radiation treatment planning process.

Pathology

Memorial Sloan-Kettering performs molecular mutation tests on lung cancer biopsies, in addition to molecular analysis, to determine the most effective treatment for each patient. We test for a number of genetic mutations, and the results of these tests help us to determine the potential efficacy of certain targeted therapies. The pathologic diagnosis and the results of these molecular tests provide Memorial Sloan-Kettering oncologists with the information needed to tailor cancer therapy for each patient.

¹ B. J. Park, R. M. Flores, and V. W. Rusch, Robotic assistance for video-assisted thoracic surgical lobectomy: technique and initial results, Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 131(1), 2006: 54-9. [PubMed Abstract]