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Lung Cancer Surgery (VATS)
Lung cancer affects more than 180,000 Americans each year. Surgery is the gold standard of curative treatment for localized lung cancer. Traditionally, lung cancer surgery has been performed as a thoracotomy. This involves a 6- to 8-inch-long incision across he patient's side, cutting numerous muscles in the chest wall and separating the ribs. The hospital stay for a thoracotomy is usually one week or longer.
However, at St. Joseph Hospital our thoracic surgeons are trained in a recently developed, minimally invasive lung surgery called  Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS). This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows surgeons to view the inside of the chest wall cavity with a video-assisted camera. Only very small incisions are needed and the recovery time is shorter, with patients usually leaving the hospital in 3 to 4 days.
It should be noted that there are instances when a traditional thoracotomy is the only option for the patient. For more information about the VATS lung cancer procedure at St. Joseph Hospital, please contact our Lung Program Coordinator at 800-441-0110.
Radiation Therapy
Conformal radiation therapy utilizes diagnostic imaging, computers and special planning software to conform the shape of the radiation beam to the shape of the tumor. This "beam shaping" provides significant advantages for increased accuracy in targeting and delivering therapy.
St Joseph Hospital is among the first in Orange County to offer a fully integrated Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) to patients treated at its The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment.  This therapy targets cancer cells while limiting radiation to normal surrounding tissue. Due to the precision of IMRT, a higher radiation dose can be delivered to the targeted cancer cells, minimizing the chance of local recurrence.
Both of these therapies are used to treat lung cancer patients. Located in The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment at St. Joseph Hospital, the Radiation Therapy department has two linear accelerators and two board-certified Radiation Oncologists who are integral members of the multidisciplinary Lung Program team.
Chemotherapy and Systemic Therapy
Systemic therapy for lung cancer includes biotherapy and chemotherapy. Whereas radiation therapy is site-specific, systemic therapy goes throughout the entire body via the bloodstream. Systemic therapy, including chemotherapy, is an integral part of treatment for regionally advanced lung cancer. It may be used before surgery (neoadjuvant) to diagnose the size of the tumor. This facilitates removal of the tumor at the time of surgery. Most often, systemic therapies are administered after surgery to reach any remaining cancer cells, providing an added measure of protection against recurrence.
As with surgery and radiation therapy, chemotherapy is discussed as an important treatment option in weekly multidisciplinary patient management conferences.
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