Aurora 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. Using a
multidisciplinary approach to lung cancer treatment for our patients, Aurora BayCare brings together a team of physicians from various medical disciplines - oncology, radiology, pathology, thoracic surgery and radiation
oncology - to share knowledge, experience and expertise.
Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinics
One 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.
Multidisciplinary Lung Nodule Clinic
In January 2012, the Multidisciplinary Lung Nodule Clinic at Aurora BayCare will offer CT and
PET imaging options for lung nodule diagnosis using a 128-slice CT scanner, which provides some of the fastest and highest resolution imaging available. Also in January 2012, Aurora BayCare will become home to northeast
Wisconsin's only TrueBeam™ treatment system, developed to treat tumors quickly and precisely. TrueBeam, by Varian Medical Systems, synchronizes imaging, a patient's positioning, motion management and the delivery of
treatment to more accurately target tumors that move as a patient breathes.
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 and Scheduling
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.
Lung cancer: prevention & early detection
Find 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.
The National Lung Screening Trial published findings in November 2010 showing CT scans to be more effective than x-rays at detecting early stages of lung cancer, and the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program
(I-ELCAP) also showed CT scans can detect Stage I lung cancer effectively. Patients diagnosed with Stage I lung cancer have an expected 88% 10-year survival rate.
Based on the results from these studies, Aurora BayCare is now using low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) to test for the disease – even when no symptoms, clinical signs or history of the disease exist.
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 $99 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
Risk factors for developing lung cancer include:
Smoking (including cigarettes, cigars and pipes)
2nd-hand smoke (from other people smoking)
Asbestos (a natural mineral used in insulation and other materials)
Radon (a radioactive gas released by rocks and soil)
Air pollution (particularly byproducts of burning diesel and other fossil fuels)
Coal dust (from working in a mine or around coal)
Personal history (if you've had certain lung diseases or previous lung cancer)
Age (lung cancer is rare in people under 40)
Prevention
Quit 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 & symptoms
Most 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 Lunch cancer
There 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.
Diagnostic tests
Sputum cytology: a sample of phlegm (mucus from the lungs) is analyzed to see if cancer cells are present.
Chest X-ray: an X-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest to detect tumors (windpipe) and lungs to check for abnormal areas or collect tissue samples for biopsy.
Needle aspiration: a needle is inserted through the surface of the chest and into the tumor to remove a tissue sample for testing.
Thoracentesis: fluid is removed from the pleural cavity (space between the lungs and chest wall) through a needle inserted between the ribs.
Thoracoscopy: a thin, lighted tube connected to a video camera is inserted through a tiny incision to view the space between the chest wall and lungs, including tumors on the surface of the lungs. A biopsy
can also be taken of any suspicious areas.
Thoracotomy: surgery to open the chest and examine the lungs and surrounding tissues.
Staging tests
"Staging" is the process of determining the size of the cancer and whether it has spread in the chest or to other parts of the body.
Staging helps determine treatment. There are 5 stages of non-small cell lung cancer (Stages 0, I, II, III, IV) and 2 for small cell lung cancer (limited-stage and extensive-stage). As the stage of the cancer increases,
the prognosis becomes less optimistic. Additional staging tests include:
64-slice Computed Tomography (CT/CAT scan)
An X-ray procedure that produces detailed cross-sectional images of the body, providing information about the size, shape and position of the tumor or enlarged lymph nodes. Aurora BayCare's 64-slice CT scanners offer greater
speed and more precise image detail.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio frequency waves to provide a clear picture of the body's soft tissues. MRI can also detect tumors that have spread (metastasized) to the brain or spine and identify suspicious areas
that other imaging techniques can't.
Bone Scan
A radionucleotide bone scan helps show if cancer has spread to bone. A small amount of radioactive substance is injected into a vein and spreads throughout the body. It collects in areas of abnormal bone growth, which is
recorded on X-ray film.
PET Scan
A procedure in which a small amount of radionucleotide glucose is injected into a vein. The PET scanner rotates around the body and makes a picture of where glucose is being used in the body. Cancer cells show up brighter in
the picture because they are more active and take up more glucose than normal cells do.
Mediastinoscopy
A surgical procedure that can help to show whether cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the chest. Using a lighted viewing instrument called a scope, the doctor examines the center of the chest (mediastinum) and nearby lymph
nodes. This is done through a small incision at the base of the neck. The scope may be used to remove tissue samples.
Bone Marrow Biopsy
To stage small cell lung cancer, a needle may be inserted into the hipbone or breastbone to extract a small piece of bone and bone marrow for analysis.
Lymph Node Biopsy
All or part of a lymph node may be removed for analysis by inserting a needle through the skin or a small incision. There are several types of biopsy:
Excisional biopsy: removal of entire lymph node
Incisional biopsy: removal of part of a lymph node
Core biopsy: Removal of part of a lymph node using a wide needle
Needle biopsy: Removal of part of a lymph node using a thin needle. Also called fine-needle aspiration.
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