Thoracic Cancer Care

Through Lahey’s tumor boards, providers from different medical specialty areas come together at our Thoracic Oncology Center to diagnose and treat cancer. This group of experts will review your test results and form the best treatment plan possible for you.

Providers on your care team represent these and other medical specialty areas:

These specialists collaborate to provide a full range of high-quality, complete services for thoracic cancer, including mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Our patient-focused care assures you are treated with respect and compassion every step of the way. From the moment you walk in, we want you to feel confident that you are in expert hands at the right place.

We’re Here For You

Count on Lahey teams to give personal attention and compassionate care through every step of your cancer journey. We offer supportive care and survivorship programs as well as cancer rehabilitation. If you have side effects from your cancer or its treatment, you may benefit from our pulmonary rehabilitation program.

If you’d like to speak with someone about your personal risk for cancer, we offer genetic testing and counseling services.

Lahey has advanced technology and highly trained staff to screen for and diagnose thoracic cancer. Our state-of-the-art imaging equipment includes CT, MRI, PET, nuclear medicine and PET/CT scanners.

Our interventional pulmonologists use a high-tech mapping and tracking system to perform biopsies (take tissue samples). This includes endobronchial ultrasound-guided (EBUS) and navigational bronchoscopy-guided biopsies to help us learn more about your condition or specific type of cancer.

Your care team at Lahey will develop a highly personalized treatment plan for you. It may include a mix of these common treatment methods for thoracic cancers:

• Chemotherapy  
• Biologic and molecular-targeted therapies
• Radiation therapy, including brachytherapy, radiosurgery, high-dose targeted radiation (also called stereotactic body radiotherapy) and various other radiation therapies specific to treating thoracic cancer such as intensity modulated, hyperfractionated and image-guided methods 
• Surgical oncology, including minimally invasive procedures

Our thoracic surgeons perform more robotic surgery for lung and chest cancer than any other New England hospital. We use robot-assisted surgery whenever possible. Robotics give the surgeon greater precision while giving you less pain and a quicker recovery.

You can trust that our experienced, professional, highly trained and caring providers are here for you, working as a team to beat your cancer. We offer various treatments that can be highly effective, although a new treatment may be in the discovery phase. Ask your doctor if you may qualify for a cancer clinical trial.

At Lahey, our team of gastroenterologists and thoracic surgeons have extensive expertise in caring for patients with esophageal cancer and Barrett’s esophagus. While most people with Barrett’s never get cancer, the abnormal cells (dysplasia) can progress to cancer. This makes regular monitoring and treatment of the underlying acid reflux important for preventing cancer.

Our doctors use high-definition endoscopy to insert a lighted scope down the throat while you are sedated (asleep). Endoscopy helps us examine the esophagus. If precancerous or cancerous tissue is found, we often can remove it at the same time. That means you don’t have to go through any other procedure.

If we find more extensive esophageal cancer, your thoracic surgeon can treat it with an advanced procedure called esophagectomy. In this procedure, performed with robotics, our surgeons remove all or part of the esophagus. We then rebuild it from part of the stomach or intestine.

Robotic assisted esophagectomy (RAMIE) uses a thin, high-definition camera and small instruments. We remove the esophageal cancer without requiring large incisions that are slow to heal. Lahey’s thoracic surgeons perform a large number of these esophagectomy procedures. Our experience has led to excellent outcomes for our patients.