Lung cancer generally starts in the lungs - two organs in the chest that take in oxygen whenever you inhale and release carbon dioxide as you exhale. Smokers are at the highest risk of developing lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer in the United States, causing more deaths than prostate, colon, lymph, ovarian and breast cancers combined. Louisiana's incidence of lung cancer is among the highest in the United States.
In 1939, the late Alton Ochsner, M.D., one of Ochsner's founders, co-authored the initial report linking smoking to lung cancer. Dr. Ochsner was also a pioneer in lung cancer treatment. Ochsner was listed as the top hospital in the New Orleans area by U.S. News & World Report, citing Pulmonary services as one of the hospital's nationally recognized specialties.
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.
Contact Information
Contact a nurse coordinator by calling toll-free 1-877-356-1647 or by emailing lungcancerclinic@ochsner.org.
