National leaders in furthering the understanding and treatment of lung cancer

By Kathleen Yount

One of the benefits of seeking cancer care from an academic medical center is access to clinical trials testing the newest ideas in treatment. That’s particularly true at Duke, where physician-scientists are national leaders in furthering the understanding and treatment of lung cancer.

Duke medical oncologists are an important part of every patient care team. Oncologists who focus on lung cancer know they are battling a formidable foe. They also know that the best battle strategies come from a clear understanding of your enemy.

Improving Options for Patients

That’s why, in addition to providing patient care, many Duke oncologists also conduct groundbreaking research. Their aim is to not only help provide the best existing cancer care, but also help make those treatment options even better.

Oncologist Michael J. Kelley, MD, uses genetic studies to better understand rare pulmonary cancers. He also pursues the development of drug strategies to treat lung cancer based on genetic alterations in the tumor cells.

Neal Ready, MD, PhD, specializes in lung and head-and-neck cancers; he is studying new strategies to personalize chemotherapy treatment based on tumor gene expression. He also researches molecularly targeted therapeutic agents that could be applied to current standard cancer therapies.

Gordana Vlahovic, MD, investigates how molecular manipulation of a tumor’s physiology and biology may improve the effectiveness of cancer drugs. She is also evaluating new noninvasive imaging strategies that help identify each patient’s unique risk for cancer, identify tumors at an early stage, and assess a particular tumor’s potential responsiveness to certain therapies.

Exploring Every Avenue

Research in lung cancer is conducted by many medical specialists on the Duke lung cancer care team. Highlights of other active lung cancer research include:

• Genomic research to identify patients at risk and tailor treatments according to tumor type
  
• Trials to test groundbreaking new drugs that can stave off infections and hasten a patient’s recovery after chemotherapy
  
• Development of vaccines that spur a patient’s own immune system to hunt and kill cancer cells throughout the body
  
• Studies to improve quality of life, from combating the effects of chemotherapy on the senses of smell and taste to managing pain, fatigue, and breathing difficulties
  
• Research to better understand and minimize the risk of radiation-associated injury to normal tissue in the lung, heart, and esophagus
  
• Improvements on smoking cessation treatments -- from nicotine replacement therapies to drugs that block the brain’s receptors to nicotine