Comprehensive Lung Cancer Center - 718.780.5835

How prevalent is lung cancer?

According to the National Cancer Institute, Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the primary cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the United States. Every year, approximately 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with lung cancer, and more than 159,000 people die from this disease.

Smoking significantly increases a person’s chance of developing lung cancer, but people who have never smoked carry a risk as well.

What is the Lung Cancer Screening Program?

The best hope for curing lung cancer is finding it early. At New York Methodist Hospital, a team of dedicated cancer experts have come together to form a multidisciplinary care team comprised of pulmonologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, thoracic surgeons, and radiologists who work together to diagnose and treat lung cancer. If you are considered at risk for lung cancer, our team will guide you through the screening process. In the event of an abnormal test, you will be provided with the medically necessary state-of-art services offered by our interventional pulmonologist medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, and thoracic surgery team.

Are you at risk for developing lung cancer?

Because early detection of lung cancer increases the chances for a good outcome, we encourage patients to learn whether they are considered to be at risk for the disease. Click here to view more information about the NYM Lung Cancer Screening and whether or not you are at risk and eligible to participate.

For more information, to speak with a physician or to arrange a screening evaluation with the
New York Methodist Hospital Lung Cancer Screening Program, please call 718.780.LUNG

Treatment for lung cancer

Treating lung cancer often requires more than one approach - not just chemotherapy for example, but surgery, radiation, or a combination of these treatments. Treatment may involve services at multiple locations from multiple physicians, technologists and other specialists.

New York Methodist Hospital’s Comprehensive Lung Cancer Center (CLCC) coordinates and consolidates all services related to the treatment of this disease in a single institution. Our approach simplifies the cancer journey for patients and their families. Patients go to one place for all their consultations, tests, procedures, treatments, support and follow-up.

The CLCC includes a core group of physicians who are radiation and medical oncologists, thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, interventional pulmonologists, and interventional radiologists. This entire team of experts meets on a bi-weekly basis to discuss all new cases, and obtain input from all members of the team. The result is a well-coordinated plan of care.

Lung cancer develops when genetic changes occur in normal cells lining the lung, causing them to reproduce endlessly, and eventually leading to the formation of a tumor that can spread throughout the body. As lung cancer is generally diagnosed in older individuals, there is an increased need for techniques that are well-tolerated by older patients.

One of the advantages New York Methodist offers patients is the availability of minimally-invasive diagnostic and treatment techniques that offer a high degree of accuracy while reducing patient discomfort. NYM is unique from other hospitals in that approximately 90 percent of our patients are treated using minimally invasive techniques.

The treatment options offered at NYM are many, and while they include surgery (both robotic and traditional) and radiation treatment, patients who are not eligible for surgery, radiation or chemotherapy can receive specialized treatments such as interventional pulmonology, which involves the use of minimally invasive technology to perform a variety of diagnostic, therapeutic and palliative procedures.

For more information on the Center, please call 718.780.5835.