At AdventHealth Cancer Care, advanced diagnostic technology, cutting-edge treatments and a multi-disciplinary team combine to provide patients the highest level of care available for lung cancer.

Fast Facts

This year alone, lung cancer will claim approximately 155,000 lives in the U.S. – more than breast, prostate and colorectal cancer combined. Unfortunately, Florida has the second highest incidence of new lung cancer cases in America. While most causes of lung cancer are related to the use of tobacco, other causes such as asbestos and radon can be the culprit.

Lung cancer is a disease that can be beaten with the right approach, since the earlier a lung cancer is found, the better the chance for cure. In fact, when early-stage lung cancer is detected and surgery is possible, 5-year survival rates can reach 85 percent. However, only 15 percent of cases are diagnosed when the disease is still restricted to the lungs, the most curable stage. Today, those who suffer from lung cancer have access to one of the country’s major cancer treatment facilities, staffed by many of the most experienced professionals in the field. With a wide range of diagnostic and treatment options and a team of lung cancer specialists, we offer the best care, close to home.

Symptoms

Lung cancer can go undiagnosed for a long time because symptoms can be attributed to other health issues. Among the warning signs are persistent cough, persistent chest, shoulder, or back pain unrelated to pain from coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and change in sputum color and volume. Other signs and symptoms of lung cancer may not appear to be related to respiratory conditions, but can include:

• fatigue
• loss of appetite
• headache
• bone pain
• aching joints
• unsteady gait
• neck and facial swelling
• unexplained weight loss

Diagnosis and Staging

The range of diagnostic services offered at AdventHealth continues to expand, offering patients the most advanced and minimally invasive procedures. Early and accurate diagnosis and staging of lung cancer is critical to treating the disease. At AdventHealth Cancer Care, we use the latest technologies to obtain the most precise imagery of the lungs, including Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans and a high-resolution, Low-Dose Computerized Tomography (LDCT) screening test, which is recommended by the CDC and the U.S. Prevention Services Task Force as a yearly screening. The LDCT scans the body using low doses of radiation.

Multidisciplinary Cancer Care

Our multidisciplinary lung cancer care team brings together a group of health care professionals in different disciplines with appropriate skills to consider your treatment and care options. They develop the best care plan for you together, rather than each specialist seeing you individually to give their opinion. The team considers all of your medical, physical and supportive care needs, along with other factors that may affect you. This team effort is designed to create the most efficient care and reduces delays in treatment and referral to vital services.

Treatments

Lung cancer can be difficult to treat. However, our team of cancer specialists – medical, radiation and surgical oncologists and support staff – will work with you to determine what treatment protocol is best for your health. The AdventHealth Cancer Institute uses the most-advanced invasive and less-invasive treatment options to fight thoracic cancers. They include traditional and less-invasive surgery, Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Stereostatic Radiation Therapy and various types of chemotherapy.

New to our arsenal is the TrueBeam® Linear Accelerator, a noninvasive, image-guided radiosurgery system. The TrueBeam system’s advanced imaging and powerful treatment modes allow doctors to tailor treatments specific to lung cancer with greater accuracy, while also helping protect surrounding healthy tissues and organs.