Thoracic Oncology

Tailoring Treatment to Meet Each Patient’s Needs

As part of the Leon Hess Cancer Center at Monmouth Medical Center, the Lung Cancer Center offers patients access to a full range of sophisticated diagnostic tools to pinpoint the cancer so that a comprehensive treatment regimen can be developed.

Taking into account the type of thoracic cancer, the size and location of the tumor, the extent of the cancer, and the patient’s overall health, treatment usually includes one or more of the following components:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy, including 3-D conformal radiotherapy, brachytherapy and body radiosurgery
• Chemotherapy

Surgical Choices for Thoracic Cancer

The goal of surgical oncology for many forms of thoracic cancer is to remove the affected area of the lung to achieve the best possible outcomes to preserve the maximum level of function.

When surgery is the vanguard of such treatment, the technique is defined as follows:

• Wedge resection is used to remove a small part of the lung, usually a tumor and the small amount of surrounding tissue.
  
  
• Lobectomy involves the removal of the entire lobe of the lung. A sleeve lobectomy is performed to remove a lobe and a portion of the bronchus, and connect the resulting ends.
  
  
• Pneumonectomy removes one entire lung.
  
  
• Chest wall resection to remove a tumor that has invaded the chest wall.

The Emerging Field of VATS

At Monmouth Medical Center, thoracic surgeons are highly skilled in performing of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to diagnose and treat problems of the best, including certain types of thoracic cancer.

The minimally invasive procedure involves the insertion of a tiny fiber-optic camera, called a thorascope, and slender surgical instruments through small incisions in the chest wall. Guided by images of the surgical site displayed on a video monitor, the surgeon maneuvers the instruments to complete the procedure.

Compared to traditional, large-incision surgery, VATS typically results in less pain, reduced recovery time and improved outcomes for patients.

Robotics Enters the Operating Room

At Monmouth Medical Center, robotic surgery — the latest breakthrough in small-incision surgery for complex procedures — has begun to be applied to lung cancer treatment.

Monmouth is the first and only hospital in the region to introduce the da Vinci S Surgical System, which combines computer and robotic technologies with the skills of the surgeon. As a result, robotic-assisted operations are performed with greater precision, dexterity and control than is generally achieved through large-incision, open and traditional laparoscopic surgery. For many patients, this means fewer complications, a shorter hospital stay, reduced recovery time and better clinical results.

For more information about robotic surgery at Monmouth Medical Center, click here.

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