Dr. Yvonne Carter: Lung Cancer Treatment Options - [Video Transcription]
- What kinds of surgical options are available for my lung cancer?
Depending upon the patient and their operative candidacy, there is the traditional open procedure but there is also minimally invasive procedure that we can offer some patients. Based upon their lung function, the surgery would involve removing a small portion, a wedge of the lobe, or the entire lung depending upon the cancer and the patient's physiologic status.
- What kind of minimally invasive procedures are available and what is the benefit?
Minimally invasive with respects to thoracic surgery is video assisted thorascopic surgery where we use small incisions to try and perform the surgery. It means that we don't have to spread the ribs which hopefully means hopefully decreased pain after surgery. That is obviously associated with a quicker recovery time.
- My doctor has suggested a sleeve resection of my lung. What does that mean?
Sleeve resection is a way to actually preserve lung tissue. So, based on where the tumor is and if it is in one lobe of the lung and its adjacent to a second lobe, some places think that you need to take both lobes or the entire lung. If you can offer someone a sleeve resection, you can actually save that second lobe and remaining lung tissue. It is a nice way to preserve lung function and still provide surgical cure.
- What does the surgeon mean when she says the "the tumor is all out?"
Surgery for lung cancer is a way to provide local control. When we tell someone that we have gotten all the tumor or all the tumor is out, we basically have taken out everything we can see to the gross eye. It doesn't guarantee that there aren't small microscopic disease or cells floating around, but what we see grossly is out. Then we wait for the pathologist to let us know whether our margins are clear of tumor. That is another way to say that we got all gross disease that we can see.
- Why should I come to Georgetown University Hospital for treatment for lung cancer?
Surgery for lung cancer is a way to provide local control. When we tell someone that we have gotten all the tumor or all the tumor is out, we basically have taken out everything we can see to the gross eye. It doesn't guarantee that there aren't small microscopic disease or cells floating around, but what we see grossly is out. Then we wait for the pathologist to let us know whether our margins are clear of tumor. That is another way to say that we got all gross disease that we can see.
