The Josephine Ford Cancer Center offers one of the largest lung cancer programs in in Michigan. A multidisciplinary approach offers patients the benefits of combined expertise in diagnostic radiology, thoracic surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology and pulmonology.
Surgical resection, alone or with adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy, is effective in patients with early-stage lung cancer. Josephine Ford Cancer Center thoracic surgeons perform multiple surgeries each year.
Other surgical options include lobectomy and pneumonectomy. In early stage lung cancer, surgeons use thorascopic techniques for resection whenever possible to minimize trauma to the patient.
Most lung malignancies are detected in stage III or later, when they have metastasized or are unresectable.
Radiation therapy, often in combination with sequential or concurrent chemotherapy, is the primary treatment for unresectable, non-small cell tumors. Adjuvant radiation therapy may be used when resection is incomplete in cases with lymph node involvement.
Multimodality therapy for localized small-cell lung cancer includes radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Palliative treatments to reduce airway obstruction in late-stage small cell and non-small cell disease or metastatic disease include operative intratracheal brachytherapy, stenting, photodynamic therapy and laser therapy, often in conjunction with chemotherapy. The Josephine Ford Cancer Center was the first in Michigan to offer endobronchial laser therapy.
Radiation oncologists are participating in a long-term, prospective clinical trial evaluating the use of combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy to improve survival of patients with locally advanced, unresectable lung cancer. This regimen demonstrates a five-year survival rate approaching 17 percent, compared with a 5 percent cure rate using standard radiation therapy alone.
In addition to our in-house protocols, our lung cancer experts participate in multiple National Institutes of Health-sponsored trials through the Radiation Oncology Group and the Southwest Oncology Group.
An Interdisciplinary Lung Tumor Board meets weekly to discuss new or problematic cases. Our thoracic surgeons participate in major multicenter clinical trials of new, potentially more effective chemotherapy and radiation therapy protocols, and recommendations for enrolling patients in appropriate trials are included routinely in treatment planning.
Radiation therapy for lung cancer is offered at designated Henry Ford Medical Centers for the convenience of patients. Pretreatment assessment and postoperative care are provided in a weekly multidisciplinary clinic for patients and families at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan and at the Henry Ford Medical Center in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
For more information on the Josephine Ford Cancer Center or to schedule an appointment, call 1-888-734-JFCC (5322).
