symptoms of cancer of the throat

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Friday, 4 January 2013

Focus On Cancer Year in Review: New Treatment for Lung Cancer

Posted on 05:00 by Unknown
2012 was an exciting year for the Abramson Cancer Center. We are featuring blogs featured on the Focus On Cancer blog that highlight cancer treatment breakthroughs, coping tips and ideas, education and inspiration. Today, we are discussing new treatments for lung cancer including proton therapy for lung cancer.

"At Penn, we care about the total patient experience,” says John Kucharczuk, MD. “We know that for most people, the diagnosis of lung cancer is their first experience with this disease. As doctors, we need to recognize what that means to people, understand their anxiety level.”

New Treatments for Lung Cancer at Penn

Christine Wilson, cancer survivor, shares her experiences from the Abramson Cancer Center’s 2012- Focus on Lung Cancer Conference. In this blog, she discusses new treatments in radiation and proton therapies for lung cancer patients. 


"At Penn, we care about the total patient experience,” says John Kucharczuk, MD. “ We know that for most people, the diagnosis of lung cancer is their first experience with this disease. As doctors, we need to recognize what that means to people, understand their anxiety level.”

Surgery for Lung Cancer

At Penn, the highest quality of surgical care for lung cancer encompasses understanding what it means to have this disease and undergo treatment. Penn has one of the largest divisions of thoracic surgery in the country, one that includes a dedicated surgical unit staffed with nurses who care only for patients who have undergone this kind of surgery.

Surgeons work as a team with experts from other disciplines to assure optimal care for every patient, and are leaders in developing new technologies and approaches that minimize the invasiveness of surgery, while maximizing the therapeutic effect. These include innovative approaches to lung sparing surgery, robotic platforms and the use of photosensitizers to improve local control of tumors.

Skill and technology are critical, but underlying the Penn program is an active commitment to preserving quality of life for patients. To Dr. Kucharczuk and his team, that involves engaging with each patient to understand what quality of life means to that person, and working to tailor the treatment to the individual.

Radiation and Proton Therapy for Lung Cancer


"Lung cancer treatment is a 'team sport.' We see ourselves as a group of physicians who have the privilege of caring for you. Effective treatment is truly a partnership with our patients." Ramesh Rengan, MD.

For many lung cancer patients, radiation therapy is an important part of their treatment. Penn offers a number of options to patients with most kinds and stages of lung cancer. These include:
  • Conventional radiation therapy utilizing 3-D imaging and IMRT
  • Protons
  • Stereotactic body radiation

Charles Simone, MD, emphasized that there are two major components in delivering effective radiation therapy to lung cancer patients.
  • Where is the cancer? This means locating the tumor as precisely as possible. Penn is one of the few centers that has integrated PET scanning and metabolic evaluation of tumors into this process.
  • How do we target the cancer? This means getting as much of the radiation dose to the tumor while sparing normal tissue.

The exact type of radiation used depends on the patient--the kind and extent of the cancer, and the overall health or other conditions that might exist. Newer options, such as stereotactic body radiation are making it possible to treat older, sicker or more advanced patients.

Proton therapy is another option for patients with locally advanced lung cancers, the most common diagnosis. Penn is one of only eight centers in the United States that offers proton therapy--a technique that allows more precise, targeted delivery of radiation to the tumor. Protons have the potential to reduce side effects from therapy while being equally effective in treating the cancer.

See all the presentations from the Focus On Lung Cancer Conference here. 

Cancer Information From a Reliable Source

Thank you for a fantastic 2012. The Focus On Cancer blog is committed to provide people with cancer and their caregivers educated information from a reliable source, the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine. Please subscribe to our blog to get updates about new cancer treatments at Penn, credible information from cancer experts at Penn, and inspiration from other people with cancer.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook
Posted in lung-cancer, proton-therapy | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Radiating Love
    When Neha Vapiwala, MD , and John P. Plastaras, MD, PhD , met during the Perelman School of Medicine’s residency program in radiation oncolo...
  • Megan's Story: From Sarcoma to Survivor
    "When I came to the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) with stage 2 synovial sarcoma, I needed hope and I needed help. Dr. Kristy Weber treat...
  • Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Anytime Crunch
    The orange zest found in this "Anytime Crunch" provides an instant mood lifter as well as flavor elevator for your yogurt, cottage...
  • Positivity and Hope at the Abramson Cancer Center #CSD14
    Cancer Survivor’s Day is a day to celebrate life with and after cancer. Every person diagnosed with cancer is considered a survivor, and tod...
  • Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Springtime Vegetable Slaw
    Warmer weather is a perfect time to eat light, and take advantage of vegetables that pack a healthy punch. This recipe for vegetable slaw...
  • Learn About Skin Cancer Prevention at Penn
    Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center invites you and your loved ones to attend CANPrevent Skin Cancer, a free educational conference for anyone i...
  • The Saracini Family’s Own Miracle on 34th Street
    After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the world became a very different place. For Ellen Saracini and her daughters, the event...
  • Julia’s Story: How a Pair of Genes Changed My Life
    My story began in June 2009 when I found out that the word “genes” can mean more than something you wear on the weekends. The symptoms that ...
  • Cancer Awareness Month for September: Thyroid Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Previvor Week
    September is thyroid and prostate cancer awareness month. Previvor week is also in September Be sure to subscribe to the Focus On Cancer blo...
  • A Toast to Hope and Progress at the 10th Annual Focus on Melanoma Conference
    Christine Wilson, cancer survivor, shares her experiences from the Abramson Cancer Center’s 2013- Focus Melanoma and CAN Prevent Skin Cancer...

Categories

  • Abramson-Cancer-Center
  • acupuncture for cancer symptoms
  • alcohol
  • American Cancer Society
  • amyloidosis
  • amyloidosis clinic
  • Angelina Jolie
  • ASCO
  • Basser
  • Basser-PR
  • Basser-Research-Center
  • bone marrow transplant
  • bone-marrow-donation
  • brain cancer
  • brain tumor
  • brain-cancer
  • BRCA
  • BRCA1
  • BRCA2
  • breast-cancer
  • breastfeeding
  • cancer
  • cancer-prevention
  • cancer-risk
  • Cancer-survivorship
  • cancer-treatment
  • caregivers
  • Carlette
  • CART 19
  • Center-for-personalized-diagnostics
  • cervical-cancer
  • check-your-skin
  • chemoprevention; breast-cancer
  • chemotherapy
  • childhood-cancer
  • children
  • chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia
  • colon-cancer
  • colonoscopy
  • colorectal-cancer
  • colposcopy
  • complementary-therapies
  • conferences
  • Cure Is Within
  • CVS
  • cysts
  • dcis
  • diagnosis
  • e-cigarettes
  • e-connects
  • Emily Ko
  • endometrial-cancer
  • esophageal-cancer
  • events
  • exercise
  • eye
  • Father's Day
  • fertility
  • focus on conference
  • food
  • FORCE
  • gastroenterology
  • gastrointestinal-cancer
  • gene-mutation
  • genetic-counseling
  • genitourinary-cancer
  • geriatric-oncology
  • guest-blog
  • gynecologic
  • hair loss
  • head and neck cancer
  • head-and-neck-cancer
  • HEADSTRONG Foundation
  • Hodgkin-lymphoma
  • holidays
  • Hope for Young Widows
  • HPV
  • immunotherapy
  • integrative-medicine
  • Jane the Writer
  • joan-karnell-cancer-center
  • John Kosteva
  • kale
  • Kamp-Kesem
  • kidney-cancer
  • leukemia
  • liver-cancer
  • livestrong
  • lung cancer
  • lung-cancer
  • lung-cancer-awareness-month
  • lymphedema
  • male-breast-cancer
  • mammograms
  • manicure
  • MDS
  • melanie-gaffney
  • melanoma
  • men's-health
  • mesothelioma
  • mindfulness-program
  • mint
  • Mothers-Day
  • Muir-Torre Syndrome
  • multiple-myeloma
  • myeloma
  • National Lung Screening Trial
  • NETs
  • neuroendocrine-tumor
  • nicotine-addiction
  • non-Hodgkin-lymphoma
  • nursing
  • nutrition
  • obesity
  • Office of Diversity
  • OncoLink
  • oncology careers
  • oral-cancer
  • oral-health
  • ovarian-cancer
  • pain management for cancer
  • pancreatic-cancer
  • patient
  • patient-story
  • pdt
  • peas
  • Penn Medicine Valley Forge
  • Penn proton therapy
  • pet-cancer
  • philanthropy
  • photodynamic-therapy
  • potatoes
  • prevention
  • previvor
  • prostate-cancer
  • proton-therapy
  • PSA-test
  • quality
  • QVC
  • radiation-therapy
  • raloxifene
  • recipes
  • rectal-cancer
  • Reiki
  • relationships
  • Ride to Conquer Cancer
  • risk
  • RTCC
  • Sarcoma
  • screening
  • skin-cancer
  • smoking
  • smoking-cessation
  • Stand-Up-2-Cancer
  • stomach-cancer
  • sunscreens
  • supplements
  • support groups
  • surgery
  • survivor
  • survivorship
  • tamoxifen
  • testicular-cancer
  • thyroid-cancer
  • tobacco
  • tonsil-cancer
  • TORS
  • Twitter
  • uterine-cancer
  • Valentine's Day Chocolate Recipe
  • Valentines Day
  • vitamins
  • Vivian Stringer
  • weight-loss
  • wish-upon-a-wedding
  • women's health
  • world cancer day
  • yoga
  • Young-Friends-of-ACC

Blog Archive

  • ►  2014 (84)
    • ►  July (7)
    • ►  June (15)
    • ►  May (10)
    • ►  April (10)
    • ►  March (23)
    • ►  February (10)
    • ►  January (9)
  • ▼  2013 (230)
    • ►  December (16)
    • ►  November (19)
    • ►  October (24)
    • ►  September (19)
    • ►  August (8)
    • ►  July (13)
    • ►  June (14)
    • ►  May (24)
    • ►  April (27)
    • ►  March (26)
    • ►  February (22)
    • ▼  January (18)
      • Living with a BRCA Mutation
      • High Fiber Diet Could Slow Prostate Cancer
      • Breast cancer forum to stress BRCA genetic testing...
      • Breastfeeding and Decreased Risk of Ovarian Cancer
      • HPV and Cervical Cancer
      • Cervical Cancer Awareness: What is a Colposcopy?
      • A Patient Story: The End of Cancer Treatment and P...
      • HPV and Head and Neck Cancer
      • About A Cervical Cancer Diagnosis
      • Miss America Contestant Plans Double Mastectomy
      • App for Weight Loss
      • BRCA Beat: Inaugural Issue, Winter 2013
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: Prostate Cancer an...
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: Reiki During Cance...
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: Helping Friends wi...
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: New Treatment for ...
      • Integrative Medicine for People with Brain Cancer
      • Focus On Cancer Year in Review: FORCE and BRCA Pre...
  • ►  2012 (186)
    • ►  December (22)
    • ►  November (21)
    • ►  October (20)
    • ►  September (17)
    • ►  August (10)
    • ►  July (16)
    • ►  June (19)
    • ►  May (21)
    • ►  April (21)
    • ►  March (19)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile