Cancer’s Top Killer Being Controlled  By VATS

DANBURY — A diagnosis of lung cancer used to be a death sentence because in its early stages, the illness presented few symptoms. And by the time its effects begin to show, it was usually in an advanced stage, too late for a cure.

Today, however, new surgical options and a better understanding of the disease provide doctors with more information on how to treat it.

“Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer of both men and women,” said Douglas Kahn, DO, Section of Pulmonary Disease. In fact, he said, it is affecting more women than ever, possibly because women are more susceptible to the carcinogens in smoke.

Dr Kahn spoke at a recent Danbury Hospital Medical Town Meeting, “An Update on Lung Cancer,” along with Michael Walker, MD, chief, Section of Thoracic Surgery, chairman, of the Lung Cancer Tumor Board and the Transplant Committee, and Marianne Mitchell, RN, APRN, coordinator of “Quit Now,” the hospital’s smoking cessation program.

The panel spoke to raise awareness that lung cancer can be prevented by not smoking, and to discuss treatment options, including a new kind of minimally invasive surgery.

While smoking puts a person more at risk, Dr Kahn said that other factors play a part, including exposure to radon, asbestos, chemicals, and air pollution.

“Still, tobacco use accounts for nearly 87 percent of all cases of lung cancer,” he said.

When lung cancer is found in the early stages (stage I and II), when it is most curable, Dr Walker can operate in a new minimally invasive way. Dr Walker is specially trained in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), which he has been performing for more than a year, and can offer patients an alternative to open surgery.

Surgery to remove a lung tumor used to be very complicated and painful. Surgeons had to make much longer chest incision from front to back, and the ribs had to be spread. “It was a big deal,” said Dr Walker. “Spreading the ribs really hurt.”

He uses VATS mostly to remove tumors from the lungs in what is called a lobectomy. The procedure uses a special camera and a scope inserted through two small chest incisions.

The tumor is put into a bag to prevent spreading, or seeding, and is pulled out through an incision. It eliminates the need to painfully spread the ribs.

Dr Walker has already performed almost 50 VATS lobectomies.

Because it is minimally invasive, like so many procedures today, VATS promises less pain and a shorter hospital stay. Patients also recover more quickly and breathe better following surgery, according to Dr Walker.

When compared to the old-fashioned open procedure, he said, VATS is just as good, if not better.

For more information on lung cancer risks, contact your physician or visit www.danburyhospital.org, or call the Danbury Hospital Call Center at 866-374-0007.