Lung Cancer Center
More people die from lung cancer than any other form of cancer. While incidence of the disease is less common than malignancies of the breast or prostate, lung cancer is substantially more lethal, resulting in more than 157,000 U.S. deaths annually.
Recognizing that lung cancer often demands more complex treatments than other forms of cancer, Virginia Hospital Center opened an integrated Lung Cancer Center. This program—the first of its kind in the metro DC area—will be open to all patients via self-referral or physician referral.
Accessing the center’s vast services will be refreshingly easy. Patients need only call 703.558.8525 to reach the coordinator of the Lung Cancer Center, Kathy Dorner. She will obtain initial patient information by phone and then discuss each case with the medical director to make appropriate clinical referrals. To alleviate the stress and anxiety caused by scheduling lags, patients contacting the center will be seen by a physician within 24 hours on weekdays and contacted by a physician within 24 hours on weekends. Equally rapid scheduling of any necessary tests and diagnostic procedures will follow.
Staffed by a multidisciplinary team—including radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pulmonologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional radiologists and social workers—the integrated program will offer a full range of diagnostic procedures, treatments and support services. David Duhamel, MD, Director of the Hospital’s Pulmonary Special Procedures Unit, will be the Medical Director of the Lung Cancer Center.
Imaging equipment available through the Lung Cancer Center is state-of-the art and geared toward early detection. For example, nuclear PET (positron emission tomography) scans will not only spot suspicious lung masses, but also suggest malignancy. Patients undergoing PET scans are injected with radiolabeled material that can light up in areas where cancer cells are present.
Treatment options are equally advanced. Virginia Hospital Center has the only Pulmonary Special Procedures Unit in the area that offers laser bronchoscopy, airway stenting and brachytherapy. These therapies are vital when treating lung cancer and its many complications. In cases in which cancer growth obstructs the airway, a laser can be used to cauterize and remove the tumor. Once the airway is cleared, a stent can be placed to keep the airway open and to inhibit blockage of the airway.
Other innovative therapies tackle lung tumors with targeted doses of radiation. Brachytherapy, for example, delivers localized radiation to the tumor site through a catheter. Another procedure known as intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) allows the clinicians to use computer imaging to gauge the exact shape, density and location of a tumor and “sculpt” a customized radiation dose that will penetrate the mass from multiple angles. The advantage of both procedures is that they leave healthy tissue relatively untouched. This is a critical consideration for lung malignancies which often lie dangerously close to the heart, spine and other vital organs and structures.
Patients treated at the center may also be eligible for treatment with new state-of-the-art investigational chemotherapy and targeted molecular treatments through clinical trials.
Smoking, the leading cause of lung cancer, is responsible for 87% of cases. The good news is that lung cancer can often be prevented. Cancer risk in smokers who quit decreases each year as abnormal cells are replaced by healthy cells. Virginia Hospital Center offers smoking cessation classes to corporations, community members, and Hospital employees.