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Treatments

Delivering Better Outcomes

Holy Cross Health’s comprehensive approach to both diagnosis and treatment allows physicians to not only find cancers earlier but to develop individualized, targeted treatment plans that help increase your survival rate and provide more patients with hope for the future. Whether lung cancer is in its earliest, most treatable stages or has become more advanced, Holy Cross Health surgeons provide patients with the expertise needed to deliver better outcomes.

Treating Early-Stage Lung Cancer

For lung cancer detected in its earlier stages, surgery is often the best treatment option. Minimally invasive surgical treatments available at Holy Cross Health include:

Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) 
Using VATS, surgeons can remove tumors using skin incisions that are less than one inch in length. A tiny camera is utilized during the surgical procedure to produce images of the inside of the lungs. These images help guide the surgeon performing the surgical removal of lung nodules and lesions.

Robotic-Assisted Thoracic Surgery 
Holy Cross Health is one of the region’s leaders in robotic surgery. An early adopter of this pioneering surgical technology for the performance of minimally invasive surgery, surgeons at Holy Cross Health utilize the most advanced da Vinci® robotic surgical technology for thoracic surgical procedures, including lobectomy (removal of part of the lung).  

Robotic Lobectomy 
Patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer may be appropriate candidates for robotic lobectomy. Utilizing the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, thoracic surgeons are able to view 3-D, magnified images of the lungs and tumors. This enhanced visualization allows surgeons more precise removal of cancerous lung tissue. During the lobectomy, our experienced surgeons maneuver the robotic arms using tiny instruments that provide a range of motion greater than the human hand for superior surgical precision. 

Minimally invasive VATS and robotic surgery offer patients many important benefits including:

  • Tiny incisions, resulting in less scarring
  • Greater surgical precision for complex procedures compared to open surgery
  • Less pain
  • Fewer post-surgical complications and bleeding
  • Shorter hospital stay

Treating Late-Stage Lung Cancer

If you are not a suitable candidate for surgery, or you have more advanced lung cancer, Holy Cross Health offers a variety of innovative therapies as well as more traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

In collaboration with our oncology specialists through Holy Cross Health’s comprehensive cancer program, you receive the most targeted cancer treatments for the best possible outcomes. We take a multidisciplinary approach to lung cancer treatment, and you benefit from the continuum of care provided through our award-winning cancer program.

Therapies for advanced lung cancer patients include:

Chemotherapy uses specific anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be delivered through infusion, as well as through oral medications. It can be given alone, in combination with radiation therapy, or as a follow-up to surgery.

Radiation therapy is targeted to destroy or slow the growth of cancer cells that grow and divide more quickly than regular cells. More than half of all cancer patients will require radiation therapy at some point in their treatment.

Neoadjuvant therapy is the delivery of chemotherapy and radiation to appropriate patients before surgery. This treatment shrinks the lung tumor to a manageable size for surgery. This approach to treating lung cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes or that is in more advanced stages has been revolutionizing outcomes at Holy Cross Health when combined with surgical interventions. The Holy Cross Health Cancer Center provides advanced radiation oncology therapies, including the most innovative treatments for lung cancer patients such as:

  • Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) optimizes radiation delivery by using advanced computer software and cutting-edge technology called a linear accelerator. Radiation doses are carefully calculated and effectively delivered directly to the lung tumor while sparing surrounding organs and tissues. IMRT also allows for re-treatment options in selected situations.
  • Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), also called Novalis, or shaped beam surgery, is a treatment delivered on an outpatient basis with surgical precision. SRS allows for shaping of the radiation beam to the exact shape of the tumor, thereby sparing healthy tissue and delivering targeted radiation. While not actual surgery, SRS is a noninvasive procedure that combines sophisticated imaging with advanced computer technology to accurately deliver radiation to the tumor site. SRS can be used to destroy tumors in the lungs, as well as in the brain, neck, and spine.
  • Stereotactic Beam Radiation Therapy (SBRT) delivers intense and precise doses of radiation to the tumor site using specialized imaging technology that creates a three-dimensional view of the tumor. SBRT is typically prescribed to treat small- and early-stage lung cancer.
  • HDR (High Dose Rate) Therapy delivers radiation directly within the confines of the tumor and is used primarily for thoracic (lung) cancers, as well as for gynecological, breast, and esophageal malignancies.

For more information about Holy Cross Health's lung cancer services, call 855-HCH-HOPE.