Surgical resection remains the first-line treatment for patients with stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) -- the most common type of lung cancer -- as well as a select group of patients with stage IIIa NSCLC.
These and other patients who require surgery are treated by Duke’s highly experienced thoracic surgery team.
Unlike the majority of hospitals, where general or cardiac surgeons perform thoracic procedures, Duke is home to four thoracic surgeons who focus exclusively on lung cancer and general thoracic oncology surgery. They perform a high volume of procedures for chest malignancies and repair each year.
Alternative Procedures
Duke is also a national leader in minimally invasive surgical procedures and surgical alternatives that offer patients faster and less painful recoveries.
Thoracoscopic lobectomy: A minimally invasive procedure in which surgeons remove a cancerous lobe through an incision only 4.5 centimeters long -- roughly two inches.
Aided by a tiny camera scope, surgeons are able to operate without having to make a long incision around the chest and use a retractor to spread the ribs (as in traditional lung surgery).
Moreover, studies have shown that patients undergoing the minimally invasive procedure had less pain and inflammation, spent less time in the hospital, and returned to full activity sooner. Patients with early-stage lung cancer are candidates for thoracoscopic lobectomy.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT): An attractive alternative to surgery for certain cancer patients.
In PDT, patients are given a light-activated drug that is absorbed by cancer cells. Surgeons then shine a laser on the tumor to “turn on” the drug, killing the cells. Because PDT has minimal side effects, it can be used as often as needed (unlike chemotherapy and radiation treatments).
PDT may be used in attempt to cure cancer for some early-stage patients, and to prolong survival and improve quality of life for certain later-stage patients.
Duke surgeons were among the first nationwide to successfully use PDT to treat early-stage lung cancer, and have since trained several colleagues from other parts of the country in the technique.
Physicians
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