Lung and Thoracic Cancers

Loyola Medicine’s lung and thoracic oncology program consists of leaders in the fields of medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, pulmonology and thoracic surgery. These specialists work together with our patient navigators, social workers and nurses to provide high-quality, patient-centered cancer care. Loyola’s experienced multidisciplinary team of physicians have expertise in diagnosing and treating a wide range of thoracic conditions.

Innovative lung cancer therapies

To continue providing patients with the highest-quality care, Loyola is committed to developing new and effective therapies for lung and thoracic cancer.  Our team’s efforts include designing clinical trials that bring new drug therapies to our patients, laboratory research on the biology of lung cancer, and the exploration of new strategies to prevent, diagnose and cure lung cancer.

What to expect

Our thoracic oncology team understands that navigating the health care system after receiving a cancer diagnosis can be difficult. To assist in this difficult time, we bring our specialists directly to you.

Located entirely in the Thoracic Oncology Center at the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, our compassionate team offers comprehensive cancer care all in a single visit at one location. Each specialist meets you to discuss every component of your care to create an individualized treatment plan tailored to your needs by the end of your visit. We understand that time matters; that’s why new patient appointments are available within one week.

Patients also benefit from the unique support services we offer. These include art therapy, massage therapy, biofeedback, pain management, acupuncture, nutritional counseling and access to psychotherapists, social workers, therapy animals and spiritual care.

Thoracic surgeons 

Our thoracic surgeons are nationally recognized for their expertise in diagnosing and treating the whole spectrum of thoracic conditions. Our thoracic surgery team participates in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database, and has received the prestigious three-star rating for excellence in lung cancer care, a distinction only earned by the top 5% of Thoracic Surgery programs in North America.

Medical oncologists

Our medical oncologists provide a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art systemic therapies precisely tailored to each person's cancer profile. We also provide the latest chemotherapy regimens and access to promising new treatments through clinical trials.

Radiation oncologists

Our team incorporates specialized imaging into the treatment planning process and adapting to treatment as the tumor and/or the patient change. We have the ability to treat with daily online adaptive technology to alter treatment in real time to account for changes in anatomy and further optimize treatment outcomes.

Interventional pulmonologists

Interventional pulmonology is a subspecialty of pulmonary medicine and surgery. Our experts' primary focus is on advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for the evaluation of possible lung cancer and other lung conditions.

How are lung and thoracic cancers diagnosed?

Doctors in the lung and thoracic oncology program at Loyola take a team approach to the diagnosis and treatment of lung and thoracic cancer. A patient’s personal and family medical history, symptoms, physical exam and imaging tests can help identify abnormal growth or diagnose cancer. Loyola offers the most advanced diagnostic and imaging tools available, including:

• Chest X-ray
• CT scan (computed tomography)
• Endobronchial and esophageal ultrasound
• PET scan (positron emission tomography) 

In addition to imaging tests, doctors will most often perform one of the following biopsies to accurately diagnose and stage lung or thoracic cancer:

• Bronchoscopy
• Fine needle biopsy
• Surgical biopsy

Early and precise diagnosis and staging of lung cancer and other thoracic cancers is important for successful cancer treatment. At Loyola, treatment plans are formulated by a skilled team of specialists dedicated to personalized care and improving outcomes for our patients by offering the latest in treatment options for lung and thoracic cancers.  

Thoracic surgery

We deliver advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques, including robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), and single encounter biopsy and resection. These approaches reduce pain and recovery time, allowing the majority of patients to return home the day after surgery.  Our surgeons perform a variety of procedures, including:

• Wedge resection
• Segmentectomy
• Lobectomy
• Pneumonectomy
• Sleeve lobectomy
• Tracheal resection
• Minimally invasive esophagectomy
• Thymectomy
• Mediastinal mass resection
• Chest wall resection and reconstruction
• Pleurectomy and decortication

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy utilizes focused X-rays to target and kill tumor cells while shaping the treatment to avoid nearby normal organs. The radiation oncologists at Loyola are committed to tailoring the treatment for the needs of the patient to treat and cure the tumor while prioritizing quality of life along the way.

Radiation therapy options

• Online Adaptive intensity modulated radiation therapy with the Varian Ethos platform
• Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)  
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) with daily image-guidance
• Metastasis-directed radiation therapy for limited sites of spread or progression
• Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)
• Endobronchial brachytherapy
• Palliative radiation therapy

Even if cancer has spread, our radiation oncologists often utilize metastasis-directed radiation therapy to one or a few sites of progressive disease to continue a treatment that may otherwise be treating the cancer well.  

Interventional pulmonology

Loyola interventional pulmonologists diagnose and manage lung nodules concerning cancer, most often identified incidentally via abnormal imaging (chest X-Rays and CT scans), and through our lung cancer screening program.  

Patients have access to state-of-the-art, minimally-invasive procedures, primarily performed on an outpatient basis, including:

• Balloon bronchoplasty
• Cone beam ct
• Cryobiopsy
• Cryospray/cryoablation
• Endobronchial ultrasound (ebus)
• Fiducial marker placement
• Laser destruction of tumor
• Robot assisted bronchoscopy
• Thoracoscopy/pleural biopsy
• Tracheal and bronchial stent placement
• Tunneled pleural catheter (pleurex) placement
• Ultrasound guided thoracentesis

Our multidisciplinary team of thoracic surgeons, oncologists, pathologists and radiologists and pulmonologists work together to ensure patients receive the correct management and ongoing pulmonary care throughout their journey.

Systemic therapy

This includes targeted therapies designed to target specific genetic mutations, innovative immunotherapies that harness the power of the immune system and antibody-drug conjugates that deliver precision treatment directly to cancer cells. We also provide the latest chemotherapy regimens and access to promising new treatments through clinical trials.

• Systemic therapy options
• Oral targeted therapy  
• Bispecific antibodies  
• Immunotherapy  
• Bispecific T-cell engagers  
• Antibody-Drug conjugates  
• Chemotherapy  
• Alternating tumor treating fields in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy  

Biomarkers and molecular profiling

Personalized molecular profiling is transforming how we treat lung cancer, making care more precise, effective and hopeful. By analyzing both tumor tissue and a simple blood sample (liquid biopsy), we identify the unique genetic changes driving your cancer. This powerful insight helps us match you with targeted therapies and clinical trials that are tailored to your specific cancer, often leading to better outcomes and fewer side effects.

• Next Generation DNA and RNA Sequencing  
• Immunohistochemistry (protein expression)  
• Liquid biopsy  

Early detection and screening for lung and thoracic cancers

Loyola invites smokers and former smokers to enroll in a lung cancer screening, which has been shown to reduce the number of deaths from lung cancer by 20 percent. The screening includes a low-dose CT scan, which takes less than 15 minutes. Learn more about our Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines.

Lung Cancer Risk Assessment

Do you know your lung cancer risk factors? Take the quiz to find out.

Start the HRA