Unless their condition prohibits it, all lung cancer
patients who undergo surgery at Duke receive chemotherapy
(treatment with cancer-fighting drugs) afterwards -- an
approach proven to improve outcomes.
In some cases, patients may undergo chemotherapy before
surgery to reduce tumor size and enable surgeons to perform
more aggressive procedures.
Chemotherapy may also be used alone or in conjunction with
radiation therapy. In addition, patients often receive adjunct
drugs to prevent or alleviate side effects from the
chemotherapy regimens -- such as red cell growth factors
designed to prevent anemia, which can cause fatigue and reduce
quality of life.
At Duke, patients have access to the newest drugs and drug
combinations as well as an expert, supportive team of
caregivers.
Expert Care
Duke’s thoracic medical oncologists care exclusively for
lung cancer patients and have extensive experience in
recognizing and managing complications from lung cancer,
coexisting conditions, or the treatment itself.
In fact, they help develop guidelines used nationally by
oncologists for medical management of the disease. Together
with our pharmacists, nurses, and physician assistants, they
ensure that lung cancer specialists are available to help our
patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Physicians
Physicians offering this service include:
Locations
This service is available at:
