Lung Cancer Care
Aurora BayCare Medical Center has a unique program for Breast, Lung and Gastrointestinal Cancer patients called the Multidisciplinary Cancer Clinic. It includes a nurse navigator who will be your source for coordinating appointments and answering all your questions. Also, in one day, you will meet all the consulting doctors including radiation and medical oncology, radiologists, surgeons, genetic counselors and cancer researchers. Meeting first individually, and then together, the team and you determine the best treatment plan. Click here for more information on the Multidisciplinary Cancer Clinic. More About the Multidisciplinary Lung Nodule Clinic The Multidisciplinary Lung Nodule Clinic at Aurora BayCare Medical Center provides evidence-based testing and monitoring for persons with pulmonary nodules. The clinic team reviews a person's health history and works with the patient and referring physician for rapid lung nodule diagnosis, then provide a personalized monitoring or treatment plan, and guide the patient throughout the entire process. The team includes a pulmonologist (respiratory doctor), radiologist, thoracic (chest) surgeon and nurse navigator. The nurse navigator assists each patient through diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care. Referrals to Aurora BayCare Medical Center's Multidisciplinary Lung Nodule Clinic are accepted from primary care providers and specialists (cardiologists, radiologists). Individual patients (self-referrals) also may be accepted. For more information about lung nodule diagnosis, call the clinic's nurse navigator at 920-288-4151. To make a referral or to schedule an appointment, call 866-857-7576. Vince Lombardi Cancer ClinicsOne of the key advantages of Aurora BayCare's program is that patients have access to the highest level of acute tertiary care, including the latest technologies and techniques, but can receive additional treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy at a Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic closer to home. In fact, there are more than a dozen Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinics in eastern Wisconsin, stretching from Marinette to Kenosha. Lung cancer: prevention & early detectionFind cancer early and improve your chances of survival. Lung cancer is among the most preventable cancers, as tobacco use is responsible for 87% of lung cancers. In fact, tobacco is responsible for about 21% of all cancers. But if detected early and surgically removed, lung cancer has a cure rate of 70 percent. Without early treatment, the long-term survival rate for lung cancer is 15 percent. Dr. Dhimant R. Patel, is an oncologist at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In the video series to the right, Dr. Patel talks more about why Aurora BayCare's lung cancer screening program is using CT scans based on the new guidelines. In the other videos in the playlist, Dr. Patel discusses their new multidisciplinary lung nodule clinic, new technologies being used at Aurora to diagnose and treat lung cancer, survival rates, smoking cessation programs and the disease's overall outlook. Who should be screened? Screening is open to everyone; however, people with a history of cigarette smoking have a higher risk of lung cancer. This may vary based on amount of cigarettes smoked each day and the person's age when he or she started smoking. Also, high levels of pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may increase risk. High-risk persons who should consider a screening include current smokers (or former smokers who quit within the last 15 years), ages 55 to 74, who smoke or did smoke an average of more than one pack per day for more than 30 years. To schedule a screening (chest CT scan), call today at 920-288-3300. Also, we encourage our patients and their loved ones who smoke to take advantage of our smoking cessation programs. Risk factors
PreventionQuit smoking and avoid 2nd-hand smoke. Have your home tested for asbestos. Wear appropriate protective gear when working with asbestos. Try to minimize exposure to air pollutants from diesel fumes and fossil fuels. Check your home's radon levels with kits available at hardware stores. Obtain early treatment for tuberculosis (TB) and other lung diseases. Avoid living or working in a place where 2nd-hand smoke, asbestos, radon or coal dust is present. Signs & symptomsMost lung cancers don't cause symptoms until they have grown fairly large or spread to nearby tissues. Common symptoms of lung cancer include: A cough that does not go away and gets worse over time Chest pain often made worse by breathing Shortness of breath, wheezing or hoarseness Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite Recurring infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia Coughing up bloody or rust-colored sputum Fatigue These symptoms can also be caused by other conditions. Check with your doctor if you develop any of these symptoms. Types of Lung cancerThere are 2 types of cancer originating in the lungs. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for up to 85% of all lung cancers. There are 3 main kinds of NSCLC, named for the cells where the cancer develops: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. NSCLC typically grows and spreads more slowly than the second type of lung cancer, small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer accounts for 15-20% of all lung cancers and is more likely to grow faster and spread more quickly. Small cell lung cancer is also called oat cell cancer or poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma. For more information on testing. |
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BayCare Medical Center brings together the latest treatments and techniques,
dedicated lung cancer specialists, and complete support services to provide
personalized care customized to each patient.