The Thoracic Program
The Thoracic Program at Roswell Park provides comprehensive, individualized lung cancer care to over 400 inpatient admissions and 7,000 outpatient visits per year, including an influx of almost 600 new patients annually. There are over 13,000 cases of lung and bronchus cancer diagnosed each year in New York State, and almost 1,500 cases for the Western New York region. Roswell Park offers video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Many VATS patients experience less pain, less scarring and shorter hospital stays. Roswell Park’s multidisciplinary team includes an elite group of thoracic surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, radiology specialists, pulmonologists, pathologists, social workers, nurse practitioners, nurses, case managers and pastoral staff.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer 2009 Cases
The most common type of lung cancer diagnosed in the United States – and seen at Roswell Park – is non-small cell lung cancer. The information in this section provides data on patients with NSCLC treated at Roswell Park in 2009, including number of cases, stage and age at diagnosis, and whether patients had a history of tobacco use or a family history of the disease.
Lung cancer under age 50 is quite uncommon. The race and ethnicity of patients treated at Roswell Park reflect the general population of Western New York, the majority being Caucasian and 10 percent of African-American/Hispanic ethnicity. Most Roswell Park patients who seek medical attention for lung cancer have advanced disease. Compared to the national average, a slightly higher proportion of women come to Roswell Park with Stage III and Stage IV cancer.