The Latest Treatments in Lung Cancer at Premier Cancer Hospitals

Treating lung and thoracic cancers has become more advanced and precise than ever before. Our lung and thoracic surgeons perform minimally invasive Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS) and use robotic surgical technology whenever possible. Interventional procedures, such as radiofrequency ablation, are also utilized for patients who are not surgical candidates.

Advanced radiotherapeutic techniques for lung and thoracic cancers, such as 3D conformal radiotherapy, brachytherapy and body radiosurgery, give you better options to pinpoint and treat lesions, and recover more quickly. We also have access to clinical trials, offering local patients access to global cancer research.

Our cancer hospitals in NJ offer a wide range of special programs, bringing together world-class expertise, technology, and innovative treatment options to help patients attain the best possible outcomes while focusing on their total health and wellness.

• Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery: One of the latest modernizations in treating conditions of the chest area is video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). This minimally invasive surgical treatment uses a special video camera called a thoracoscope, which can remove part of a lung or drain fluid on the lung using smaller incisions than traditional surgery. Compared to traditional surgery, patients typically recover more quickly. Anesthesia is used during the procedure; you may need to take antibiotics to prevent infection.
• Radiofrequency Ablation: For patients who cannot, or do not want to, have surgery, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) offers another option. RFA can be used to treat small tumors near the outside of the lungs. The procedure involves insertion of a metal probe into the chest wall and the tumor. From there, high-energy radio waves are used to heat and destroy the tumor. Ask your radiation oncologist if RFA may be right for you.
• 3D Conformal Radiotherapy: As a premier cancer care center in New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health is pleased to offer 3D conformal radiotherapy to treat lung cancer. This technique can shift the shape of radiation beams to match the form of a tumor. Ideally, it is used for tumors that have irregular shapes or are closely located to healthy organs and tissues. This precision lung cancer treatment allows us to give the appropriate dose of radiation to cancerous cells with less impact to healthy areas of the body surrounding it.
• Brachytherapy: Brachytherapy is radiation treatment delivered directly into your body that is placed as close to the cancer as possible. The radiation is delivered using radioactive isotopes (chemical elements) inside implants, which are devices such as wires, seeds or rods. Overall, this lung cancer treatment allows your oncologist to use a higher total dose of radiation over a shorter time than is possible with external beam therapy. It does less damage to normal cells that are nearby cancerous cells, offering more precision when destroying cancer cells.
• Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT): Also known as stereotactic radiosurgery. SBRT is a precise form of radiation treatment used by radiation oncologists at RWJBarnabas Health. Even though it is called surgery, radiosurgery does not involve actual surgery. Instead, accurate beams of radiation (x-rays or protons) are used to target and treat cancerous tissues without a surgical incision or opening. SBRT allows high doses of radiation to be delivered through a few treatment sessions, providing similar results to actual surgical procedures. Your oncologist can help you determine if SBRT is right for you.

RWJBarnabas Health offers several types of radiation devices that can be utilized to deliver SBRT treatments, including:

• Proton therapy
• CyberKnife
• Tomotherapy
• Linear accelerators with image guidance capabilities

Your radiation oncologist can discuss the options with you and carefully select the ones most appropriate for your diagnosis.