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Win H...lung cancer survivor A Story of Strength

Services
The Center for Thoracic Cancers offers a collaborative and caring approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with confirmed or suspected thoracic cancers.

We coordinate a multidisciplinary team of specialists in hematology oncology, surgery, radiation oncology, and others in one day to develop an individualized treatment strategy so that treatment can begin as quickly as possible.

Our services include:

• Multidisciplinary evaluation, consultation, and second opinions
• Latest diagnostic tests such as PET scanning and integrated PET/CT
• Access to innovative and investigational treatments

Advanced Treatments
We provide the latest, most effective treatments for thoracic cancers including access to participate in clinical trials that evaluate promising new therapies. For example, we were one of the first centers in the nation to provide patients with advanced and treatment resistant non-small cell lung cancer with the medication Iressa™ (gefitinib).

Advanced Techniques in Imaging and Diagnostics
Our interventional radiologists, surgeons, endoscopists and pathologists have extensive expertise in safely and rapidly diagnosing and staging thoracic cancers.  Leaders in their field, the radiologists are the only specialists in the region to use bioimagery, an advanced molecular imaging approach to delineate areas of tumor activity following primary chemotherapy and better inform decisions about surgery.  Additional, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging tools are also available, including:

• Standard CT, MRI, PET and nuclear medicine scans
• PET/CT fusion scants
• Bronchoscopy and Mediastinoscopy
• Endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound
• Molecular diagnostic tests and electronic microscopy
• Percutaneous needle aspiration

Surgical Care
Patients have access to the most advanced surgical approaches in advanced lung cancer, esophageal cancer, airway reconstructive surgery and management of complex multi-system problems including:

• Endoscopic procedures such as bronchoscopy, esophagoscopy, & mediastinoscopy
• Insertion of stents during esophageal and bronchial dilation procedures
• Laser surgery
• Photodynamic therapy
• Brachytherapy
• Minimally invasive video-assisted thorascopic surgery
• Resection of tumors in the chest, lungs, esophagus, and mediastinum
• Resection of tumors obstructing a bronchus or in the trachea
• Chest and airway reconstruction

The Latest  Radiation Therapy
Thoracic radiation therapy presents the unique challenge of how to optimally radiate a moving target – a tumor in the lung – while sparing healthy surrounding tissue.  Radiation oncologists and physicists have developed revolutionary targeted techniques for the treatment of thoracic cancers.  We are the only center in Boston to use 4-dimenstional CT imaging and respiratory gating, allowing the radiation oncologists to define a tumor’s range of motion and better plan and deliver radiation therapy.  Read More

We are also home to the Francis Burr Northeast Proton Therapy Center, the only proton radiation facility in the Northeast and one of only three in the United States.  Other radiation therapies include:

• Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• High-dose endobronchial brachtherapy
• Intraoperative radiation
• 3-D conformal therapy

Support & Coping
Because thoracic cancer can impact a patient’s quality of life and place stress on the entire family, we believe that high-quality care should encompass the whole patient by addressing physical, psychological, and spiritual needs.

To find support and education workshops, and wellness services offered this month, please view the HOPES calendar.