Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, occurring rather frequently in Louisiana and other Southern states. At Ochsner, the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of lung cancer is a major area of focus. The late Alton Ochsner, M.D., one of Ochsner’s founders, was co-author of the initial report in the late 1930s that linked smoking with lung cancer. Dr. Ochsner was also a pioneer in lung cancer treatment.
Today, proper diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer is best accomplished by a team of physicians dedicated to the care of patients with this illness. Specialists in pulmonary (chest) medicine, radiology and pathology are all important in the early diagnosis of lung cancer, while physicians in medical, radiation and surgical oncology are needed for treatment. At Ochsner, these physicians work as a team. This teamwork includes frequent patient-related conferences as well as the use of the latest techniques in combined modality therapy. This approach can permit surgery for complete removal of a lung cancer that otherwise could not have been accomplished. It can also allow for other treatments to be more effective. Ochsner physicians are world leaders in the treatment of lung cancer and are able to provide the most innovative methods of treatment. This expertise has brought new treatment methods and agents to the Ochsner community before they were even available at other hospitals around the nation.
