Thoracic Cancer

Meet our Cancer Specialists:   Jasmine Huang, MD  |  Michael Smith, MD

Norton Thoracic Institute (NTI) is a national leader in the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of thoracic cancers, including lung, esophageal, and gastric cancer.

These cancers are often aggressive and difficult to treat. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer causes more deaths in the U.S. every year than any other type of cancer, while one type of esophageal cancer—called adenocarcinoma—is now the fastest-growing type of cancer in the Western world. But there is hope. Physicians and clinical researchers are developing new ways to identify cancer in its early stages and treat it effectively. Researchers in labs around the world—including here at NTI—are getting closer to finding cures for these cancers.

We encourage you to learn all you can about your disease so you can partner with us in treating and managing your condition.

Three-pronged Treatment 

The experts at NTI care for patients with lung, esophageal, and gastric cancer using a three-pronged treatment approach designed to produce the best possible outcomes. This includes:

  • Identification of people at risk of cancer, treatment of any conditions that put them at risk, and ongoing monitoring of their condition
  • Early detection and treatment of cancerous or pre-cancerous lesions
  • Research into therapies aimed at preventing cancer.

“We take a very aggressive approach to treating people at risk of lung, esophageal, or gastric cancer, as well as those who have been diagnosed with one of these diseases,” says Dr. Ross Bremner, director of Norton Thoracic Institute. “Early intervention drastically improves outcomes.”

Core Services

Norton Thoracic Institute offers the following services to patients with thoracic cancer:

  • Programs designed to identify cancer before it has spread. The Lung Cancer Screening Program uses CT scanning to examine at-risk patients so that early-stage lung cancer can be found before symptoms develop. Another example of our emphasis on identifying cancer early is our use of proactive Barrett’s esophagus surveillance. Because patients with Barrett’s esophagus are at higher risk of developing esophageal cancer, our physicians monitor their condition regularly, performing endoscopies to look for signs of cancer.
  • Multidisciplinary cancer diagnosis and disease management. A team of thoracic and cancer experts meets monthly to discuss each new cancer patient and to review existing patients’ progress. Changes are made to each treatment plan as needed to ensure that every patient receives the best possible care.
  • High-tech diagnostic and treatment tools. Physicians at Norton Thoracic Institute have access to the latest tools for diagnosing and treating cancer. Confocal microscopy, for example, is a powerful microscope used to diagnose esophageal cancer. Video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery (VATS) uses just three or four small incisions to remove cancerous and pre-cancerous lung tissue.
  • Research into better treatments and potential cures. Scientists at Norton Thoracic Institute are developing new approaches to killing thoracic cancer, including targeted therapies for individual patients and gene therapy.

    Learn More About Thoracic Cancer Services at Norton Thoracic Institute

    For more information about thoracic cancer services at Norton Thoracic Institute, please call 602.406.4000.