Lung Cancer Treatment

Until recently, a diagnosis of lung cancer meant a poor prognosis, especially since symptoms often don’t appear until the disease has progressed. But with new early detection tools and innovative treatment options, survival rates continue to rise.

Each of our locations in South Jersey is staffed by some of the region’s leading lung cancer specialists. Together, this dedicated team — including board-certified pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists, specialized nurses and more — will work with you to create the best possible treatment plan. Your provider will tell you about any clinical trial for which you may be eligible and, if you choose to take part, a team of oncology and research-certified nurses will help you navigate the process from start to completion.

We specialize in minimizing pain and side effects and offer a full range of cancer support services, so you can focus on healing.

For more information and to make your appointment, call 1-888-569-1000.

Surgery

Surgery is performed to remove the lung tumor as well as nearby lymph nodes in the chest to check for signs of cancer. It is typically used for early-stage lung cancer when the cancer has not spread, and in some cases may completely cure the disease. Following surgery, additional treatments, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy, may be used to lower the risk of the cancer returning.

Radiation Therapy

AtlantiCare uses the most advanced technology available to target lung tumors with extreme precision. Treatments include intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), which focus high-dose radiation directly at the tumor while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. We also treat lung cancer from the inside with high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, delivering radiation from small implants located close to the tumor. 

Accuray CyberKnife^® is also offered to treat lung cancer. This robotic stereotactic radiosurgery system provides a painless, nonsurgical option for patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumors. Using image guidance and computer-controlled robotics, CyberKnife delivers multiple beams of high-energy radiation to tumors from virtually any direction with ultra-precision. The CyberKnife system tracks a tumor’s position, detects any tumor or patient movement and automatically corrects the treatment delivery. Because it can treat tumors anywhere in the body with sub-millimeter accuracy, higher doses of radiation can be used per session, increasing the chance of successful treatment.

Medical Therapy

As part of our whole-body medical oncology program, we offer the latest and most effective chemotherapy options. Chemotherapy has shown to improve both the length and quality of life for people with lung cancer of all stages.

Other medical oncology services include:

• Targeted therapy: We now assess lung cancer for genetic mutations that can be targeted with oral (pill) treatments, which also help us develop a personalized treatment plan. Inhibitors of these growth pathways are like on/off switches and can sometimes be more effective than chemotherapy. Most targeted therapies are oral medications that can be taken at home. They can spare patients of hair loss, nausea, low blood counts or increased risk for infection. They are also more convenient and can enhance quality of life compared to standard treatments.
• Immunotherapy: Recent FDA-approved drug therapies give people the ability to fight lung cancer using the body’s natural defense mechanism. Immunotherapy works by making hidden cancer cells visible to the immune system, allowing white blood cells to fight and kill the cancer. Studies have shown immunotherapy drugs to be well-tolerated with minimal side effects, and when combined with more traditional treatments have doubled lung cancer survival rates.