Lung Cancer

Comprehensive Cancer Care

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths and also one of the most preventable types. At CHRISTUS Health, our highly skilled and board-certified physicians provides our lung cancer patients with top-of-the-line lung cancer care close to home. From diagnosis to personalized treatments, you can count on our compassionate medical staff to be by your side from the beginning.

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Lung Cancer Types

Non-Small Cell

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and it accounts for 80% to 85% of diagnoses.

Small Cell

Approximately 10% to 15% of all lung cancers are small cell lung (SCLC) cancer. It's also known as oat cell cancer.

Lung Carcinoid Tumor

Lung carcinoid tumors are a rare form of lung cancer, and it comprises less than 5% of all lung tumors in people.

Signs & Symptoms

Lung cancers rarely cause symptoms until they have spread, although some people do show symptoms at an early stage. Common symptoms of lung cancer may include:

  • Lingering cough
  • Coughing up blood 
  • Chronic chest pain 
  • Recurring infections (such as bronchitis and pneumonia)

The symptoms above can be caused by something other than lung cancer. However, if you have these issues, it's vital to contact your CHRISTUS physician. 

Lung Nodule Screening & Program

We provide optimal diagnosis and management of lung cancer at all stages with a coordinated, multi-disciplinary team. A candidate for the Lung Nodule Program is anyone who has an abnormal chest X-Ray/CT Scan or has been diagnosed with lung cancer. In addition, we strive to expedite the evaluation and treatment of lung nodules.

Individualized Treatment Options

Thoracic and General Surgery

We are staffed with several board-certified thoracic and general surgeons with experience in upper gastrointestinal cancers. Our general surgeons frequently participate in Tumor Board Conferences and communicate with our cancer team, offering a multi-disciplinary approach to each patient that we treat.

 


 

Hexapod 6DoF Robotic Couch

The Elekta Hexapod™ device allows the radiation oncology to make fine adjustments to patient tilt prior to each radiation treatment. This allows us to correct for small day-to-day differences in positioning, further improving the precision of treatment.

 


 

Four-Dimensional Computerized Technology Imaging

Four-dimensional Computerized Technology imaging precisely delineates the movement of esophageal cancers and normal tissues during the breathing cycle. This greatly improves the accuracy of treatment of lung cancer, while decreasing the toxicities of treatment.

 


 

Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR)

In select patients with early-stage lung cancer, treatment may be performed with a few, extremely large doses of radiation. These “SABR” treatments can deliver a much higher effective dose of treatment, but they require a high level of precision and caution. This is only made possible by advances in imaging, software and linear accelerator capabilities.