Lung Cancer

You can feel confident in the treatment you receive by our lung cancer specialists. You will find the most advanced treatments and multidisciplinary care for lung cancer at UMass Memorial Medical Center. 

Lung Cancers We Treat

UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA, treats the most common as well as rare and complex types of lung cancer including:

• Non-small cell lung carcinoma 
• Small cell cancer, also called oat cell carcinoma 
• Carcinoid tumors 
• Bronchoalveolar carcinoma 
• Mesothelioma 
• Metastatic cancers to the chest 
• Thymoma

Multidisciplinary Care

The diagnosis and treatment of lung cancers often require the skills of many specialists. We bring together these specialists in a single setting (called multidisciplinary care).

Here the team discusses care for each patient and develops a thorough treatment program. This provides you with the best cancer treatment plan possible.

Before, during and after treatment, our medical staff works with you and your family to ensure full involvement in your care and recovery. 

Advanced Treatments for Lung Cancer

In addition, because of our highly accurate lung cancer staging (defining the degree cancer has advanced at the time of diagnosis, aiding long-term survival), you can feel confident that the treatment plan recommended for you is the best one for the type and stage of your lung cancer. Accurate staging is a critical factor in selecting treatment options, deciding on a path to recovery and ensuring the best possible result for you.

The following are just a few of the many advanced treatments and technologies our team provides you:

• RapidArc, an advanced radiation treatment technology, allows our radiation oncologists to more precisely treat tumors with less damage to nearby tissues. 
• Stereotactic radiosurgery enables our cancer specialists to deliver high doses of radiation with precision and accuracy. 
• Robotic thoracic surgery, particularly robotic lobectomy (removal of lobe), is used for some lung cancers. 
• Our thoracic surgeons are among the nation’s first to perform robotic thoracic surgery. Ours is one of the first hospitals in the United States performing this advanced procedure. 
• Genotyping 

CT Lung Cancer Screening Program

If you're worried about your risk for lung cancer, our CT Lung Screening Program may be able to help. Today there is evidence that using low-dose CT scans to screen people who smoke can help detect lung cancer early--and save lives.

Learn about our CT Lung Cancer Screening Program.

Research and Clinical Trials

Working with UMass Chan Medical School, the Cancer Center serves as a forum for education and research. Extensive lung cancer research and clinical trials are conducted so you benefit from the latest diagnostic and treatment options that come from this research.