lung


 
Conditions
  • Lung Cancer
Minimally Invasive Surgery
 

Lung Cancer

  • Overview
  • Talk to your Doctor
  • Resources

Lung Cancer Overview

If you've recently found out you have lung cancer, the first thing you should know is that you're not alone. About 220,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.95 In the cases where cancer has not spread, the surgical removal of the cancerous tissue (resection) is one of the most effective treatments.

The lungs provide oxygen to the body via the blood. When cancer occurs, there is uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. As a result, the cancerous cells do not develop into healthy tissue but instead can form tumors and prevent the lung from functioning normally.

One of the first steps to fighting lung cancer is to arm yourself with knowledge and learn as much as you can about the disease and how it's treated. If surgery is an option, know the various surgical methods that can be used, and how they can impact your recovery.

We have created this website in order to give you a more in-depth understanding of your options, and a list of questions for your doctors as well as additional resources. You can also learn more about a particular type of lung surgery in the procedure section.

Site References

Talking to your Doctor about Lung Cancer

If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, your doctor is your best resource. He or she is there for you, to help you decide the best option for your specific situation. Here are some questions you can use to get you started with this important conversation:

  • What are my treatment options?
  • Is surgery a treatment option for my lung cancer?
  • If so, what kind of surgery do you recommend for me?
  • Is there a minimally invasive option for the recommended surgery?
  • Can you recommend a surgeon that does VATS (video assisted thoracic surgery*)?
  • * One key difference in how lung surgeries can be performed is the way in which the surgeon gains "access" to view the lungs. In a traditional approach, a long incision is made from front to back along one side of the chest. In order to view the lungs, the ribs are spread apart and, in some cases, a small piece of rib is removed. A second approach uses a small video camera to allow the surgeon to view the lung area. This option, called Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS), allows the surgeon to make smaller openings in the body.

Lung Cancer Resources

To learn more about this surgery and the various procedures, we have provided the following resources.

Did you know?

About 220,000 of new cases lung cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.95

Site References

 

Find a Surgeon

Whether you choose to have conventional surgery or to have a Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), it is important that you have a surgeon who is experienced and qualified to perform the procedure.

To locate a surgeon in your area experienced with MIS, click here.