Lung & Chest Cancer 
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Focused, Specialized Care

Patients diagnosed with cancers of the chest cavity are in need of the specialized care offered at Geisinger’s  Lung and Esophageal Cancer Clinic. Chest cavity cancers include:

  • Lung cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Mediastinal tumors
  • Mesothelioma

Geisinger is the only health system in the region with a dedicated clinic for these cancers.

A Team Approach to Cancer Treatment

Because chest cavity cancers are often not discovered until they are in the advanced stage, a combination treatment approach including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or surgery is often required. The multidisciplinary Lung and Esophageal Cancer Clinic offers patients the opportunity to be evaluated in one visit by four healthcare specialties including:

After the evaluation, specialists collaborate with a radiologist, pulmonologist, and/or gastroenterologist and pathologist to discuss each patient’s diagnosis and develop a unique treatment plan that is based on national chest cancer guidelines.

The National Comprehensive Care Network recommends the multidisciplinary clinic approach as a healthcare “best practice” because it results in continuity of care for the patient and provides cutting-edge treatments in a timely manner.

Cutting-Edge Medicine

Accurate staging is essential to develop the most appropriate treatment protocol. To determine the spread and extent of the cancer, Geisinger specialists use imaging and ultrasound-guided endoscopy. Ultrasound-guided endoscopy allows doctors to place cameras and scalpels through tiny incisions in the lung or gastrointestinal tract to obtain biopsies of lymph nodes and glands that previously required open surgery to reach.

VATS Lobectomy

When surgery is recommended, patients may be eligible for Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy (VATS).
The advantage of VATS lobectomy includes:

  • Smaller incision
  • Faster recovery
  • Less time in the hospital
  • Less pain
  • Increased safety

Traditional, or open, surgery is reserved for more complex cases including large tumors or tumors in difficult locations.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

For patients who cannot tolerate surgery, an advanced procedure called stereotactic radiosurgery delivers very precise radiation therapy in high doses to the exact tumor location, in essence “cutting” away the cancerous tumor from healthy tissue.

Utilizing the Latest Research

Geisinger is affiliated with the National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic, and American College of Surgeons, giving patients access to several ongoing clinical trials. These clinical trials offer the most advanced treatment options available and are especially relevant to patients with complex diseases.  No other facility in the region can offer this level of advanced treatment options.

If you’ve been diagnosed with any chest cavity cancer, contact the Lung and Esophageal Clinic at Geisinger. The clinic offers treatment as well as second opinions for individuals who already had a treatment plan developed by another doctor.