Lung cancer care in Manchester, New Hampshire
A lung cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. Our doctors are here to support you throughout your journey.
Catholic Medical Center specialists provide high-quality care, with lung cancer services such as low-dose computerized tomography (CT ) scans and robot-assisted thoracic surgery. We use evidence-based treatments to help you work towards recovery and even offer support to help you quit smoking.
Lung cancer services we offer
Our experienced team of specialists provides lung cancer care for all stages of your journey, beginning with diagnosis and continuing through any treatments you may need.
Diagnosing lung cancer
Since detecting cancer in its earliest stages improves the likelihood of treatment success, it is crucial to get regular screenings if you have any applicable risk factors. Our team offers quick and painless low-dose computerized tomography (LDCT) screenings, which can help find lung cancer early, when symptoms are less noticeable. Many insurance plans cover annual LDCT scans if you qualify, but you must complete a shared decision-making visit with your doctor beforehand.
The procedure only takes a few minutes and exposes you to a lower dose of radiation than a traditional chest CT scan. A radiologist will interpret the images produced by the scan and share results with your doctor. If a finding on your CT needs further evaluation, your doctor will talk with you about next steps.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screenings with LDCT if you have certain risk factors, including:
- 50 to 77 years old
- Smoke currently or quit within the last 15 years
- Smoking history equal to or greater than 20 years — equivalent to 20 packs per year
Lung cancer treatments
Although it is widely known that smoking can cause lung cancer, we understand that nicotine is highly addictive, making it difficult to quit. We offer a variety of treatments to both help you quit smoking and fight lung cancer. Our knowledgeable specialists collaborate across radiology, cardiovascular medicine, thoracic medicine and pulmonary medicine, and will recommend the best options for your personal condition.
Minimally invasive surgery
Minimally invasive techniques, including robot-assisted thoracic surgery, allow our surgeons to be precise as we remove concerning masses or tumors from the lungs. By using small incisions, we are able to lessen the effects on the rest of the chest cavity, as compared to traditional thoracic surgery.
Potential benefits of minimally invasive, robot-assisted thoracic surgery include:
- Shorter hospital stay
- Fewer complications
- Reduced scarring
Thermal ablation
Using thermal ablation, we target soft tissue tumors, burning them with heat or freezing them with cold to kill cancerous cells.