- Specialized expertise in diagnosing and treating thoracic cancers and benign conditions of the lungs, esophagus, mediastinum, chest wall, diaphragm, lymph nodes. Go to Conditions Treated
- Advanced treatment options including minimally invasive approaches to improve healing, reduce pain and complications, and shorten hospital stays. Go to Treatments
- Team-based approach from thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists, working together to give you the best care possible. Go to Your Care Team
- Clinical trials that offer eligible patients access to the latest breakthroughs in lung and thoracic cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Go to Clinical Trials
- Comprehensive support services to help you and your family focus on health and healing. Go to Supportive Services
- Ease of access to thoracic and lung cancer care at locations throughout the Bay Area for convenient imaging, radiation therapy, and infusion therapy. Go to Connecting to Care
Our specialists treat thoracic cancers and conditions which occur in the chest. These conditions may involve the lungs and esophagus, the tube that connects your mouth and stomach. They may affect the rib cage and diaphragm, or the area between the esophagus, lungs, and heart called the mediastinum.
Thoracic conditions can be diverse and complex. At Stanford Health Care, our multispecialty thoracic team has training and expertise to accurately diagnose and effectively treat all types of lung and thoracic conditions. With decades of experience and a deep passion for healing, we provide the care and support you need at every step along your treatment journey.
The thoracic and lung cancers and benign conditions we treat include:
Lung conditions
- Lung Cancer
- Benign lung tumors including bronchogenic cysts
Esophageal conditions
- Esophageal cancer
- Benign esophageal conditions (achalasia, hiatal hernia)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Chronic bronchitis
- Emphysema
Chest cancers and other benign chest conditions
- Malignant pleural mesothelioma
- Mediastinal masses including thymoma and thymic cyst
- Myasthenia gravis
- Posterior mediastinal masses including neurogenic tumors
- Hyperhidrosis
- Diaphragm paralysis
- Chest wall tumors including chondrosarcoma
- Chest wall abnormalities including pectus excavatum, rib fractures
Our doctors help advance lung cancer treatments through their leadership in the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
Lung and Thoracic Cancer Treatments
Our thoracic and lung cancer specialists are nationally recognized for high-quality cancer care and innovative research and clinical trials. Our expertise covers the wide range of thoracic cancers, from slow growing, less aggressive lung tumors to aggressive, malignant cancers.
Our doctors work together across medical specialties to develop a personalized treatment plan. We review your test results and the appropriate treatment options to recommend the right plan of care for you.
INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS
- Our video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) program is one of the busiest in the nation. We use minimally invasive VATS or robotic procedures 80% of the time, which speeds up your recovery and reduces complications.
- We’ve received the highest thoracic surgery safety and outcome ratings from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and U.S. News & World Report.
- Our medical oncology specialists led several of the key trials that helped develop targeted therapies to treat lung cancers with genetic mutations.
- Modern radiation therapy evolved from work pioneered at Stanford Medicine, including the development of stereotactic radiation techniques using the CyberKnife, Trilogy, and True Beam linear accelerators—now the worldwide standard of care for radiation treatment of lung cancer.
- Our researchers are the world leaders in developing a groundbreaking blood test to diagnose lung cancer that can detect tumors earlier than CT scans.
Early detection of lung cancer, when it is most treatable, can be lifesaving. For those at high risk, our Lung Cancer Screening Program offers a low-dose CT scan to detect lung cancer in its earliest stages in those who are at high risk for developing lung cancer. Learn more about lung cancer screening.
An accurate diagnosis is essential to determining your care path. Our team includes leading radiologists who specialize in diagnostic imaging, interventional pulmonologists who (in addition to surgeons may obtain biopsies), and pathologists who help diagnose cancer by analyzing tissue samples. These doctors use the latest diagnostic tests, including those that can identify the genetic makeup of a tumor, to confirm a diagnosis. We have clinical trials ongoing at the cutting edge of using blood tests to diagnose lung cancer or cancer recurrence earlier than imaging tests can.
If you already have a diagnosis, our team will review your most recent test results. We may recommend further testing to confirm your diagnosis and develop a treatment plan that best matches your needs and treatment goals.
Tests we use to accurately diagnose lung and thoracic cancer and other conditions include:
- Lab tests: Blood and urine tests provide information about the condition and your overall health. You’ll have lab tests frequently throughout your care.
- Imaging: We use a variety of imaging technologies to assess tumors and see whether cancer has spread beyond its original location. The types of imaging tests your doctor may use in diagnosing lung and thoracic conditions include X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, PET/CT scan.
- Bronchoscopy: In this test, your surgeon or interventional pulmonologist guides a bronchoscope (a thin, flexible tube with a small camera attached) down your throat into your airways and your lung. During this procedure, your doctor may collect small tissue samples (biopsies) of the lung, a tumor, or lymph nodes. We have a cutting-edge robotic bronchoscopic device which we believe makes these biopsies more accurate than previously possible.
- Upper GI Endoscopy: In this test, your doctor guides an endoscope (a thin, flexible tube with a small camera attached) down your throat to view your esophagus. During this procedure, your doctor may also collect small tissue samples (biopsy) of the esophagus or an esophageal tumor.
- Mediastinoscopy: Your doctor makes a small incision near your collarbone and inserts a tube equipped with a camera into the mediastinum. In this way, your doctor can collect tissue samples of tumors or lymph nodes.
- Biopsy: This is a small tissue sample that your doctor collects during bronchoscopy, endoscopy, or mediastinoscopy, or with a fine needle inserted into the tumor by a radiologist from outside the chest. A pathologist examines the tissue to check for the presence and type of cancer.
- Genetic testing: Some types of cancer run in families. If you have a family history of cancer, your doctor may recommend genetic testing to determine your risk.
Each person’s cancer is different. Within the Thoracic Cancer Program, you have access to a care team of specialists in surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, medical imaging, and pathology. Your care team will evaluate your condition carefully to recommend optimal treatment options and work with you to develop a treatment plan.
Our multispecialty team meets weekly to review complex cases and establish the best treatment approach. These case reviews draw upon the collective expertise of the members, who carefully consider all treatment options.
Your plan may involve one or more types of treatment. Whenever possible, if surgery is recommended, we use minimally invasive options and select therapies to limit the side effects.
Our doctors often recommend surgery to treat thoracic cancers or tumors. About 80% of the time, we use minimally invasive approaches (either video-assisted thoracic surgery or robotic-assisted thoracic surgery) both of which can help you heal faster and reduce complications. We remove the largest, most complex tumors using open surgery. In this procedure (a thoracotomy), your doctor accesses the lungs through an incision between the ribs.
Whether we use a minimally invasive or open procedure, our surgical teams provide exceptional expertise. Because of our superior surgical outcomes and careful pain management, we are ranked among the best thoracic surgery programs in the country.
Surgical procedures we offer include:
- Esophagectomy: In this procedure, the surgeon removes the lower two-thirds or all of the esophagus, the upper part of the stomach, and all surrounding lymph nodes.
- Lung cancer surgery: This surgery includes several procedures to remove tumors from the lungs. The extent of the removal depends on the tumor size and location. This may be a wedge resection, a lobectomy, a sleeve lobectomy, or a pneumonectomy.
- Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS): Used to treat severe emphysema, this procedure removes damaged lung tissue to improve your breathing and lung capacity.
- Pulmonary metastasectomy: Surgeons remove metastatic lung tumors, cancer that has spread to the lung from another area in the body.
- Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS): The surgeries above are most often performed by VATS or RATS. In these minimally invasive procedures, the doctor uses a small video camera and special instruments inserted through small incisions in the chest. We use VATS or RATS to remove most lung tumors, most masses in the mediastinum, for LVRS, for many of our esophagectomies, and to treat hyperhidrosis. About 80% of our procedures overall are performed by VATS or RATS.
Our medical oncologists are cancer specialists who treat cancer using oral or intravenous (IV) medications. We often use cancer medications in combination with other treatments. Types of cancer medication that we use to treat lung and thoracic cancers include:
Stanford Medicine is known worldwide for innovations in targeted therapy, which in many cases, gives doctors another tool for cancer treatment and flexibility in personalizing your treatment path. Targeted therapies seek out specific molecules on or in cancer cells and disrupt their growth or function. Our innovative research in using targeted therapy to treat lung cancer caused by a specific gene mutation (change) helped bring this promising treatment to patient care.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells. Our radiation oncologists deliver radiation from outside the body (external radiation) or more rarely via a radiation source surgically placed inside or next to the tumor (brachytherapy).
Types of external radiation therapy include:
- 3D conformal radiation therapy
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy
- Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR/SBRT)
SBRT uses guided systems to precisely target beams of radiation and destroy cancer cells while affecting surrounding tissues less. Stanford Medicine physician-researchers developed these technologies, known as stereotactic radiotherapy. This has transformed cancer care around the world by more effectively and safely treating tumors that are considered inoperable. We offer several types of SBRT, including CyberKnife, Trilogy, and TrueBeam, giving our doctors multiple options for treating thoracic cancer in all its forms and stages.
Interventional radiology can also deliver cancer treatment directly to the tumor. Our interventional radiologists treat some lung cancers using tumor ablation. In this procedure, we use CT imaging to guide a needle to the tumor. The doctor uses cold energy (cryoablation) or heat energy (radiofrequency ablation) to destroy the tumor.
Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive materials that act as tracers to help diagnose and treat lung and thoracic cancers. Our team of nuclear medicine specialists helped develop peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). In this therapy, peptides bind to the surface of lung neuroendocrine tumor cells and emit radiation that destroys the cells.
Cancer tumors have a specific genetic fingerprint. Our doctors identify this fingerprint and use it to select targeted treatments that will be most effective. A Stanford Medicine thoracic radiation oncologist pioneered genomic profiling from tumor DNA that is circulating in the blood.
Wellness encompasses more than your physical health to include your psychological and emotional well-being. Our Circle of Care approach focuses on your wellness, surrounding you and your family with the services you need before, during, and after treatment.
Innovation Through Clinical Research
Some of Silicon Valley’s brightest scientific minds are at the Stanford Cancer Institute and the Stanford Medicine Cancer Center. Medical discoveries and clinical advances happen here. Our physicians and scientists work every day to improve cancer prevention, detection, and care. We offer advanced diagnostics, the latest treatment technologies and techniques, and pioneering therapies in development through clinical trials. Let us put innovation to work for you.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies currently recruiting participants or that may recruit participants in the near future. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but similar studies may open in the future.
To learn more about the clinical trials we offer, visit: Stanford Cancer Institute Clinical Trials.
We know cancer is more than a condition—it's one of life's greatest disruptors. We offer you and your caregivers the support you need at every step of the way, including a team that actively listens, develops a plan for your unique situation, and stays with you from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.
Our multispecialty thoracic team prioritizes quality, safety and excellence. Our thoracic and lung cancer specialists, advanced practice providers, nurses, and staff strive to provide the expert, respectful care that you expect and can trust.
Your Doctors and Providers
Thoracic Cancer Surgeons
These surgeons specialize in treating cancer through traditional (open) and minimally invasive surgery (video-assisted thoracic surgery and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery) to remove tumors. Cancer surgeons also perform biopsies (taking tiny tissue samples) to test for cancer. They are also expert in recommending other forms of cancer treatment to be used in combination with surgery or instead of surgery in cases where surgery is not appropriate.
View All 5 Thoracic Cancer SurgeonsThoracic Medical Oncologists
Medical oncologists have specialized training in diagnosing and treating thoracic and lung cancer using medications, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
View All {0} Medical OncologistsThoracic Radiation Oncologists
Radiation oncologists have specialized training in using high-energy radiation to destroy cancer or prevent its spread while protecting healthy tissue.
View All {0} Radiation OncologistsAdvanced Practice Providers (APPs)
Radiation oncologists have specialized training in using high-energy radiation to destroy cancer or prevent its spread while protecting healthy tissue.
View All 6 Thoracic APPsExtended Care Team
Nurses and Nurse Coordinators (RNs)
Nurses and nurse coordinators are registered nurses who coordinate your care with your thoracic or lung cancer team. They guide you from your first contact through follow-up care and help you find counseling, financial, and other support services.
Care Coordinators
Care coordinators provide you with information and assistance before and during your appointment.
- Medical Assistant: Medical assistants work with our team to help provide care. They may prepare you for an examination, assist your doctor, or take your vital signs before your appointment.
- Patient Care Coordinator: Our patient care coordinators help you with scheduling appointments and accessing your lab results. They are your first line of contact before you see your provider and will guide you during your cancer care.
- Patient Access Representative: Patient access representatives can answer your questions about health insurance coverage, help you apply for health insurance, and refer you to our financial counselors.
Genetic Counselors
Some thoracic and lung cancers have a genetic component. Our counselors from the Cancer Genetics Program can guide you through decision-making about genetic testing for you and your family.
Research Coordinators
Doctors at Stanford Medicine Cancer Center participate in research efforts to advance the understanding of thoracic and lung cancers and their treatment. Research coordinators help identify patients who may be candidates for participation in clinical research, explain those trials, obtain consent from patients to enroll, and manage the trials.
Cancer Care Services
Your wellness is our top priority. As part of your care, we design a wellness plan to support you and your family throughout your diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.
We offer a wide array of support services to help you to feel your best. Contact our Cancer Care Services for your personal support plan.
We make access to care as simple as possible. We anticipate what you need and provide support when you need it. Our network of locations puts our services within your reach. User-friendly digital health tools help you stay connected with your care team. We accept most insurance plans and offer discounted transportation, short-stay options, and international travel and translation services. We help make sense of the details, so you can make decisions that are right for you.
We welcome you and do our best to make accessing care from the Thoracic Cancer Program easy and convenient. We make every effort to coordinate your appointments so that you can see multiple providers, as needed, during a single trip.
For Referring Physicians
PHYSICIAN HELPLINE
Fax: 650-320-9443
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Stanford Health Care provides comprehensive services to refer and track patients, as well as the latest information and news for physicians and office staff. For help with all referral needs and questions, visit Referral Information.
You may also submit a web referral or complete a referral form and fax it to 650-320-9443 or email the Referral Center at ReferralCenter@stanfordhealthcare.org.
HOW TO REFER
Email or fax a cancer referral form with supporting documentation to ReferralCenter@stanfordhealthcare.org or 650-320-9443.
To make an appointment with one of our cancer specialists, please call 650-498-6000.