Lung Cancer Center, Phoenix

Lung cancer is the third-most common cancer in America and kills more Americans each year than the other three most common cancers—breast, prostate and colorectal—combined. But with screening, early detection and innovative treatment options, more lung cancer patients are living longer than ever before. At the Lung Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix, our team of experts will work with you and your primary care physician to offer screening and diagnostic tests to determine whether you have lung cancer. If tests confirm a diagnosis, we’ll recommend a comprehensive, personalized lung cancer treatment plan, in consultation with you and your home doctor, carefully transitioning you back to his or her care when your treatment is complete. At City of Hope Phoenix, consultations and treatments are available in days, not weeks.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America^® (CTCA) is now City of Hope^®, joining forces to expand patient access to personalized, comprehensive cancer care.

• Lung cancer is the third-most common cancer in the state of Arizona.
• Nearly 4,000 state residents are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.
• Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in Arizona, with more than 2,500 deaths per year.
• Fewer than 2 percent of all high-risk Arizona residents are screened for lung cancer each year.

Your treatment options

At the Lung Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix, our singular focus on lung cancer puts our oncologists, pulmonologists and other experts at the leading edge of new and emerging treatments, including:

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology that assists doctors in determining whether a lung nodule may be malignant and needs immediate attention. Early detection helps doctors develop treatment options that are better positioned to produce positive outcomes.

Advanced robotic surgery techniques that make it possible for your thoracic surgeon to perform less aggressive procedures, such as a segmentectomy, which removes less of the lung than a lobectomy. Your team may also include a reconstructive surgeon trained and experienced in repairing and reconstructing the chest wall and restoring physical function and appearance impacted by the cancer and/or surgery.

Precision medicine drugs, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy, that give doctors an arsenal of treatment strategies that may offer better outcomes and lesser side effects than chemotherapy. Your team of lung cancer experts collaborate daily, all under one roof, conducting a clinical review of your cancer to quickly develop a detailed treatment plan designed specifically for you and your needs and diagnosis. Your care team at City of Hope Phoenix will also communicate and coordinate with your doctor back home, providing seamless care before, during and after your treatment.

Treatment options may include:

Lung cancer screening

About 8 million Americans are considered at high risk for lung cancer, according to the American Lung Association. At the Lung Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix, we offer lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scans for those at high risk, as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Should your lung cancer screening detect any anomalies or suspicious spots, your team of doctors and clinicians will help you understand the results and discuss diagnostic and potential treatment options with you. Lung cancer survival outcomes improve dramatically with early detection. Our experts have the experience, training and technological tools to spot lung cancer early and, if necessary, get you started on a treatment plan in a matter of days.

Diagnosing lung cancer

A fast and accurate diagnosis is a critical step toward developing a personalized treatment plan for your diagnosis. At the Lung Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix, our experts are trained in a variety of tools and technologies to determine the type of lung cancer, its stage and whether it’s spread to other tissues or organs. Diagnostic tools include:

Imaging tests, such as X-rays, MRIs and PET/CT scans, that helps doctors look inside your lungs to determine the exact location and size of your tumor and whether it’s spread. These tools may also be used during treatment to determine whether the regimen working or after treatment to look for signs of recurrent cancer.

Lab and blood tests, such as biopsies, blood tests and advanced genomic testing, allow doctors to look for abnormal cells or specific markers or gene mutations to help determine what may be driving your cancer’s growth and, when possible, identify targeted treatment options.

Lung biopsies with Ion

The experts at the Lung Cancer Caner Center at City of Hope Phoenix are armed with an advanced diagnostic technology called Ion by Intuitive, a minimally invasive, robotic-assisted biopsy tool that helps doctors and obtain biopsies from hard-to-reach places in the lung.

With Ion’s proprietary software, doctors may be able to more accurately map a path to a lung nodule, even those on the periphery or outer branches of the lung. Ion’s ultra-thin catheter with fiber-optic camera is designed adjust to the twists and turns deep inside the lung to help doctors access nodules in most parts of the lung.

Once it’s reached its destination, the ion catheter deploys a needle designed to gather tissue samples of the lung nodule so a pathologist can examine them under a microscope. If the nodule is found to be cancerous, doctors are able to stage the disease during the procedure.

Ion is designed to help doctors safely and efficiently conduct lung biopsies on hard-to-reach nodules, which may allow them to diagnose lung cancer sooner, when more treatment options may be available.

We know the stress and uncertainty that comes with news that an X-ray or CT scan has revealed an abnormal spot on your lung—and why it’s critical to learn quickly if it’s cancerous or benign. Getting a fast, accurate diagnosis is essential to your peace of mind, no matter the result, and it’s key to developing a treatment plan if a diagnosis is confirmed. The Lung Cancer Center team of cancer experts at City of Hope Phoenix works quickly to provide a diagnosis and, if necessary, work with you on a treatment plan that meets your needs. Our model of care makes collaboration and communication more efficient, allowing us to condense a process that often takes weeks into just a few days. If you learn you have cancer, a medical oncologist, a thoracic surgeon and, possibly, a radiation oncologist will recommend a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your specific diagnosis and your individual needs.

Each care team at the Lung Cancer Center at City of Hope Phoenix is led by a medical oncologist and may also include pathologists who are experienced and trained in standard-of-care and advanced tools to diagnose and stage the disease to better pinpoint the array of treatment options available to you.

Depending on your needs, your care team may also include a surgical and/or radiation oncologist, pulmonologist, oncology nurses and supportive care clinicians to help you manage related side effects. The entire team works together with a “whole-person” focus, which is at the heart of our Lung Cancer Center's dedication to comprehensive, personalized care.

As part of our integrative care model designed to help you stay strong during treatment, your care team may recommend a number of evidence-based supportive therapies, such as: