Lung Cancer | Blessing Health System

EXPERIENCE THE BLESSING DIFFERENCE: LUNG CANCER

View details on Lung Cancer Screening Day on November 9th 2024.

As the lung cancer specialists in the region, Blessing is a comprehensive cancer center. People throughout our region come to us for:

Minimally invasive surgery: We can perform many surgeries using small incisions to remove lung tumors. These techniques have advantages such as less blood loss, less pain after surgery and a shorter recovery time. Learn more about our surgical services.
Holistic support network: Our cancer care providers offer supportive services that complement your treatment, including:
- Counselors to help you and your family deal with anxiety, stress or other emotional or psychological pressures
- Registered dietitians to help you eat a healthy diet and stay strong during your treatment
- Nurse navigators to help you schedule your appointments, answer your questions and support you in any way we can
Lung Cancer Screening: Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in America, claiming more lives than colorectal, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer combined. Annual low-dose CT lung screenings can aid in finding lung cancers in their earliest stages.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LUNG CANCER

Early detection of lung cancer gives you a better chance for successful treatment of this disease. Learn more about prevention and screenings at Blessing.

Not all lung cancers are the same. We categorize them into 3 major types based on what the cells look like under the microscope:

Non-small cell: This is the most common type of lung cancer, affecting both smokers and nonsmokers. It can grow slowly or quickly.
Small cell: This type often grows quickly and can spread to other parts of the lungs and body quickly. It rarely occurs in nonsmokers.
Lung carcinoid tumor: These tumors are rare and usually grow slowly. They begin in the specialized cells in the lungs that produce hormones, called neuroendocrine cells.

TREATING LUNG CANCER AT BLESSING

Our cancer specialists and their teams bring their skills and expertise together with advanced technologies and powerful drugs to provide expert care for people with lung cancer. We create a personalized treatment plan specific to you and the type of cancer you have.

You may need one or a combination of treatments to treat lung cancer in different ways. This multipronged approach works well for lung cancers that have spread or are difficult to remove completely with surgery or radiation therapy alone. Your treatment options at Blessing include:

Surgery: Our thoracic surgery team, specialists in chest surgery, has years of expertise in removing tumors from the lungs. We use minimally invasive surgical techniques to lessen pain and shorten recovery time for you. Learn more about thoracic surgery.
Medication: Medical oncologists, doctors who treat cancers with powerful drugs, may prescribe chemotherapy, drugs that destroy cancer cells and help prevent cancer from spreading. Learn more about medical oncology and immunotherapy.
Radiation therapy: We use stereotactic radiosurgery, a type of external beam radiation, to target lung tumors with high precision. Other radiation treatments may shrink tumors in preparation for surgery or chemotherapy. Read more about our radiation oncology.
Access to clinical trials: You may be eligible to participate in a clinical trial at Blessing Cancer Center, in partnership with other healthcare systems. Clinical trials are research studies that test a new or innovative treatment that’s not widely available. To learn more about clinical trials please speak with your doctor.