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Lung Cancer Home |
Survival Rates |
Medical Staff |
Nurse Coordinator |
Diagnostics |
Treatment & Technology |
Case Conferences |
Clinical Trials |
Support Groups |
Cancer Education |
Patient Stories
Winning Against Lung Cancer
For more than a decade, Hoag Cancer Center has maintained the highest volume lung cancer program in Orange County. With a multidisciplinary approach that includes prevention, early detection, the use of promising new therapies, participation in laboratory and clinical research, and extensive complementary care, the team at Hoag Cancer Center provides lung cancer patients with every diagnostic and therapeutic advantage.
Hoag’s comprehensive site-specific lung cancer program provides:
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Survival Rates
The superior care provided to Hoag lung cancer patients is most clearly illustrated by the cancer center’s exceptional survival rates.
The five-year relative survival rate for Hoag lung cancer patients is 14 percentage points higher than the most recent national figure. This equates to survival rate for Hoag lung cancer patients that is 87 percent higher than the national figure.
As the graph above illustrates, survival for Hoag lung cancer patients has steadily improved, while there has been minimal improvement in national figures. In fact, Hoag patients have continued to achieve better survival outcomes than nationally for every stage of lung cancer, as shown below.
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Medical Staff Expertise
Hoag’s expert team of board-certified thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists provide the latest in state-of-the-art surgical procedures and treatment options for patients with lung cancer.
Additionally, Hoag’s expert medical staff is complemented by its highly trained team of oncology nurses. Dedicated to delivering patient-centered care, Hoag’s nursing staff ranks among the nation’s top nurses, as validated by Hoag’s designation as a Magnet™ hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Hoag-Affiliated Lung Cancer Experts
Medical Director
Richard Fischel, M.D., Ph.D., is the Medical Director of Thoracic Oncology at Hoag Cancer Center. For more information, please select from any of the following: Dr. Fischel’s bio, contact information and news release about his appointment as medical director.
Physician Expertise
Obtaining your cancer care from a medical team that treats a high volume of patients with your specific cancer type has its advantages – namely, successful patient outcomes.
Studies show that physicians who treat large numbers of patients with a specific disease achieve better patient outcomes. During 2007-2008, three Hoag-affiliated surgeons (Drs. Zusman, Joyo, and Fischel) accounted for more than 70 percent of the lung cancer surgeries performed at Hoag. Additionally, during that same time period, three Hoag-affiliated medical oncologists managed the majority of lung cancer patients treated at Hoag (Drs. Vandermolen, Carroll and Burtzo).
Hoag’s expert medical team and higher than national figure survival rates are just two reasons why patients diagnosed at Hoag remain at Hoag for treatment. And not only do Hoag patients recognize the cancer center’s excellence in cancer treatment, patients at other medical centers do as well. In fact, more than 12 percent of patients treated for lung cancer at Hoag were actually diagnosed elsewhere, yet chose to obtain their cancer treatment at Hoag Cancer Center.
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Nurse Coordinator Guides and Supports Patients
The Lung Cancer Nurse Coordinator is a unique asset to Hoag’s comprehensive lung cancer program. The coordinator serves an important role as facilitator and guide for patients, answering questions and providing support through each phase of treatment.
Hoag’s lung cancer nurse coordinator provides:
- Emotional support and guidance for the newly diagnosed patient and family
- Education for patients and family members about lung cancer
- Information about community resources and Hoag support services
- Help in coordinating the multidisciplinary care plan
- Assistance in navigating the healthcare system during and after treatment
Lilian Reed, R.N., graduated from Saddleback College Nursing School in 1985 and has worked at Hoag since 1990. She assumed the role of lung cancer nurse coordinator in 2005. According to Lilian, “It’s very rewarding to be involved with patients and their families by providing education and support. I enjoy working with the dedicated physicians and cancer center team to provide the highest level of care to lung cancer patients.”
To speak with Lung Cancer Nurse Coordinator Lilian Reed, please call 949/764-6889.
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Diagnostics
Hoag’s state-of-the-art diagnostic services give patients convenient access to a full spectrum of technologies that enable doctors to pinpoint the nature and extent of the disease – and the best treatment plan for each individual patient.
Hoag’s sophisticated imaging technology and expert radiologists provide an essential component of service. Detailed images of the tumor site, contours and dimensions help physicians determine an accurate diagnosis and develop an effective treatment plan.
Hoag offers leading-edge, minimally invasive technology that allows physicians to evaluate the presence of cancer which has spread beyond the original site. Some of the advanced imaging techniques at Hoag include:
Lung Cancer Early Detection Program
Hoag remains committed to the early detection of lung cancer. In an effort to diagnose lung cancer in its earliest stages, Hoag provides at-risk individuals with the Lung Cancer Early Detection Program. This unique early detection program allows individuals at increased risk for lung cancer to receive a spiral CT scan without the need for a physician’s referral. For more information, click here.
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Treatment/Technology
Hoag Cancer Center’s expert medical team works together to determine the best course of treatment for each individual patient.
From minimally invasive surgical options, to the latest in state-of-the-art radiation therapy and systemic therapy, Hoag’s comprehensive approach to lung cancer has resulted in outstanding survival rates for lung cancer patients – significantly outpacing national figures by as much as 13 full percentage points.
Surgery
Lung cancer surgery is a vital component of successfully treating patients for lung cancer. That’s why Hoag Cancer center offers the latest in state-of-the-art surgical options, including video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).
VATS is a minimally invasive surgical technique in which surgeons utilize innovative scopes and other imaging tools to view and operate within the chest through several small incisions, rather than a large open incision.
VATS is associated with shorter hospital stays, less post-operative pain and faster recovery times, than traditional open thoracotomy procedures. Additionally, VATS has been shown to result in cancer survival rates that are equal to traditional open procedures. More than 75% of lung cancer patients are able to undergo VATS lobe recection.
In 2007-2008, Hoag-affiliated thoracic surgeons Rick Fischel, M.D. and Colin Joyo, M.D. who performed the highest volume of VATS surgeries at Hoag.
Hoag is among only a handful of hospitals in the U.S. offering patients VATS lobectomy – a procedure during which lung cancer is removed without having to open the chest. This procedure results in significantly less pain and postoperative recovery time for patients being treated for lung cancer. It also allows treatment of patients who may otherwise have been considered inoperable due to their age or other complicating medical conditions.
To view an article with details about VATS and Hoag's lung surgery physical therapy program, click here.
Radiation Oncology
Hoag Cancer Center’s radiation oncology program is yet another example of the center’s commitment to excellence in lung cancer treatment. The entire first floor of the cancer center is dedicated to radiation oncology, where its highly specialized team of medical experts deliver the latest in state-of-the-art radiation therapy.
The treatment technologies listed below are available to lung cancer patients. During a consultation with a radiation oncologist, the options which best suit an individual’s lung cancer are discussed.
- 4-D CT Simulation
- 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy
- Image Guided Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IGRT/IMRT)
- Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
- Gamma Knife for brain metastasis
Hoag’s radiation oncology program offers a full spectrum of leading-edge radiation treatment options. For a complete listing of all treatment options available Hoag Radiation Oncology Services, please click here.
Systemic Therapy
Systemic therapy is an important component of care for the vast majority of lung cancer patients. Hoag staff includes 35 board-certified medical oncologists, each of whom is committed to providing the latest in systemic therapy options to patients.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the treatment of cancer through heating the tumor with electromagnetic energy through a needle. This technique is performed by interventional radiologists at Hoag Hospital. For more information on RFA of the lung, click here.
Treatment of Metastatic Disease
When lung cancer spreads, the most common sites are other organs, including the liver, lung, bones, and brain. Systemic chemotherapy is typically used in the treatment of such cases. However, increasingly, local therapies are being used to eliminate certain locations of metastatic cancer.
For patients with small numbers of metastases to the liver, surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation and tomotherapy are all treatment options, in addition to systemic therapy or intrahepatic chemotherapy.
Isolated lung metastases may be treated by surgical resection, preferably video-assisted thoracic surgery, radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation or radiation therapy.
Bone metastases are typically treated with radiation therapy, while brain metastases can usually be effectively treated by Gamma Knife.
With the availability of all these treatment options, the outlook for patients with metastatic cancer is more hopeful than ever.
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Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Case Conferences
Hoag’s multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Case Conferences provide collaborative care planning for lung cancer patients.
The weekly Lung Cancer Case Conference brings together all of a patient’s physicians for a multidisciplinary approach to treatment planning. All aspects of a patient’s care are discussed by a team of lung cancer specialists, including thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists, nurses and support staff.
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Clinical Trials
Currently, there are no clinical trials open for lung cancer. To learn more about Hoag Cancer Center’s Clinical Trials Department, please click here.
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Lung Cancer Support
The Lung Cancer Support Group provides a unique forum in which patients are able to share concerns, and learn more about lung cancer and its treatment.
The group meets twice monthly and is open to newly diagnosed patients, patients undergoing active treatment and patients who have completed treatment.
The group is facilitated by Hoag’s Lung Cancer Nurse Coordinators along with other oncology professionals, and features educational presentations alternating with open discussions.
Select from the following calendars:
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Smoking Cessation
Hoag Hospital offers extensive programs to assist people who wish to stop smoking. For details, please click here.
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Cancer Education
To learn more about lung cancer, please visit the National Cancer Institute Website.
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