Outcomes Data for Lung Cancer
Learn More About Lung Cancer Treatment Options at CTCA: Chat with Us | Email Us
Part of Our Promise to you and your families is to offer clear information, powerful and thorough treatment options, all based on your needs.
CTCA currently tracks its clinical outcomes for some cancer types and compares them with those in an available national database. In this section, you will find data for lung cancer patients who treated at CTCA hospitals compared with patient data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.
SEER currently collects and publishes cancer incidence and survival data from population-based cancer registries covering approximately 26 percent of the U.S. population, and includes data through 2003 at the time of this analysis. For comparison purposes, we therefore include only CTCA data through 2003.
Lung Cancer Outcomes
According to an independent biostatistician, from 2000 to 2003 the percentage of advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients treating at CTCA hospitals and surviving 1.5 years is estimated to be 1.84 times that of patients with similar diagnoses in the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. The survival rate for CTCA lung cancer patients was approximately 1.79 times at 1 year and 1.69 times at 6 months than SEER patients.
This chart depicts a comparison of survival rates at CTCA hospitals to publicly available data from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program. CTCA makes no claims about the efficacy of specific treatments or the delivery of care. Cancer is a complex disease and each person’s medical condition is different. Cancer patients should not expect the same results when treating at a CTCA hospital.
"The complementary/supporting components of my treatment provided me with the physical, mental and spiritual tenacity I needed to endure aggressive, conventional cancer treatment...With the exception of hair loss and a slight darkening of my extremities, I experienced minimal side effects," says CTCA cancer survivor Nicole Cyrille.
Whole-Person Treatment
Because of the nature of the disease and the potential side effects of lung cancer treatment, conventional therapies alone are not enough. Lung cancer patients need care for the whole person, not just the disease.
That is why CTCA clinicians deliver advanced conventional treatments in combination with complementary medicine therapies. This combined package helps lung cancer patients fight the disease and maintain their quality of life as much as possible.
An attention to quality of life during cancer care can:
- Ease the side effects of conventional treatments
- Keep the patient nourished
- Boost the immune system
- Promote independence
"At CTCA, I have so many doctors who have all cared for me with compassion. They are lovely, kind men and women of all ages and backgrounds. They understand that everybody is different and they treat you as an individual. Since coming to CTCA, I have not just healed from cancer, but I have healed emotionally and spiritually as well," says CTCA cancer survivor Terrece Crawford.
Clinical Value of Quality of Life
CTCA evaluates each patient's quality of life before and during treatment. In doing so, CTCA care teams track each patient’s capacity to fulfill the activities of daily living. To our knowledge, CTCA is the only network of cancer hospitals in the nation to incorporate quality-of-life measurement as part of its routine clinical program.
In one abstract submitted by CTCA researchers and published in the Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), patients treating at CTCA hospitals demonstrated well-maintained quality of life during the first three months of treatment.
A separate abstract submitted by CTCA researchers and published in the Proceedings of the ASCO examined the prognostic significance of quality of life tools in cancer care. Based on the results of more than 1,200 cancer patients who treated at a CTCA hospital, researchers found that even small gains in quality of life could lead to improvements in survival rates.
What do CTCA lung cancer survivors say about their experience?
An individual with lung cancer who comes to CTCA can expect to receive whole-person, patient-centered treatment made possible by the Mother Standard® of care. The Mother Standard® of care means CTCA clinicians care for patients as individuals; and they never stop searching for hopeful options. Patients come from all across the nation and travel hundreds of miles to receive this unique model of care.
“The first thing I remember was entering the lobby of CTCA and seeing the tree of survivors. I said I’m going to get my name on that tree! CTCA began treating me right away for my infection, got my pain under control and confirmed the diagnosis. I could not believe how fast they were able to do all the tests. They did more in one day at CTCA than my hospital back home did in a week," says CTCA cancer survivor Peggy Kessler.
Patient Satisfaction
In addition to tracking our clinical and quality-of-life outcomes, CTCA measures each patient’s treatment experience. CTCA uses a patient-centered, service-quality methodology known as Net Promoter Score (NPS). Cancer patients treating at CTCA hospitals consistently report exceptional satisfaction with the quality of their treatment experience.
Patient Referrals
Delighted customers refer other customers to high quality service providers. In our studies, CTCA patients tell us they would refer others to CTCA as illustrated by the graph below, which shows that 92.2 percent of CTCA patients would recommend another patient to CTCA compared to approximately 55 percent of patients who are willing to refer another patient to most other hospitals. (Hospital Benchmark Reference: Would you recommend this hospital to a friend? Bain & Company Brief 12/19/07 by Julie Coffman & Phyllis Yale).
Hope
Clinical skill, the best technology medical science has to offer, whole-person focus, patient-centered efficiency, and service excellence are all essential to providing quality cancer care. Yet, for cancer patients and their families, there is another critical element in the equation: Hope.
In one study at CTCA, we found that 80 percent of patients report an increased sense of hopefulness after undergoing a treatment evaluation at our centers.
“After three days of tests, I asked Dr. Mellijor how long I had to live. He said he could not give me my “expiration date”…that date was “in greater hands than his.” It was at that moment that I realized someone had offered me HOPE! If I was willing to fight, they would fight with me," says CTCA cancer survivor Peggy Kessler.
“[CTCA is] a wonderful, healing place made truly special by its cutting-edge treatment, the fractionated delivery of the treatment, the many classes and services, the opportunity to meet and share stories with other cancer patients at all stages in their recoveries, and the cheerful atmosphere and attitude of the entire medical, administrative and support staff," says CTCA cancer survivor Kathleen Houlihan.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) is accredited by a number of renowned, professional healthcare organizations, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
- American Association of Blood Banks
- College of American Pathologists
- American College of Radiology
- American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer
Accreditations by CTCA Hospital
To learn more about each CTCA cancer hospital's accreditations, follow the links below:
Next Topic: Lung Cancer Survivors