Multidisciplinary Team Approach

• Patient Care Coordinator - A patient care coordinator responsible for keeping patient and staff lines of communication open and promoting patient satisfaction, the Coordinator works closely with the Lung Cancer Centre team.
• Pulmonologists - Physicians who diagnose and treat all lung diseases, including lung cancer. They perform many procedures that facilitate the diagnosis and initial management of lung cancer, including:
  • Bronchoscopies with direct visualization of the lung airways to obtain tissue for biopsies
  • Evaluations of lung function
  • Rehabilitation of lung function in order to determine if patients will be able to tolerate the surgical removal of a portion of a lung
  • Treatment of respiratory symptoms and complications of lung cancer patients
  • Consultations on lung cancer screenings
  • Implementation of smoking cessation programs
• Pathologists - Physicians who diagnose medical problems by studying cells and tissue samples under a microscope. They analyze tissue removed for lung biopsies.
• Radiologists - Physicians who diagnose medical problems by conducting and interpreting imaging studies produced with X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scans and ultrasound. They play an important role in determining a lung cancer diagnosis.
• Interventional Radiologists - Physicians highly trained in radiologic imaging, interventional radiologists use small needles, guidewires and catheters to diagnose and treat disease.
• Medical Oncologists – Medical Oncologists are specialized in the medical management of lung cancer. They offer cutting-edge "targeted" and ground-breaking therapies including the opportunity to participate in exciting clinical trials. Medical oncologists at Dharamshila Lung Cancer Centre have wide-ranging experience with the latest cancer therapies, including:
  • The newest forms of chemotherapy
  • Targeted agents
  • Anti-angiogenesis agents
  • Radiation sensitizing treatments
  • Anti-nausea drugs
  • Palliative medicines to minimize the troublesome effects of lung cancer and its treatment
• Radiation Oncologists – Cancerspecialists with advanced training and expertise in radiation therapy. Radiation oncologists at Dharamshila Lung Cancer Centre are experienced and skilled in the use of the most sophisticated treatment technologies, including:
  • Linear Accelerators capable of delivering a wide variety of radiation energies, depending on individual patient needs
  • CT Simulator, the most advanced 3-D simulation system that has set the standard for radiotherapy planning
  • IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy), which uses very sophisticated computer technology to deliver carefully calibrated radiation beams to targeted tumors while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue
• Thoracic Surgeons - Surgeons who perform complex surgical procedures (open and minimally invasive) of the thoracic cavity, including the lungs, esophagus, chest wall and mediastinum. Thoracic surgeons at Dharamshila Lung Cancer Centre perform a wide range of surgical procedures including:
  • Lung cancer resections
  • Video thoracoscopy
  • Bronchoscopy
  • Mediastinoscopy
  • Esophageal resections for cancers and other disorders
  • Diagnosis and surgical treatment of mediastinal disease
  • Removal of chest wall tumors and chest wall reconstruction