Community Connections: The Latest in Lung Cancer

Every two and half minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with lung cancer. Yet, more Americans than ever are surviving lung cancer. While the disease remains the leading cause of cancer deaths among both women and men, over the past five years, the survival rate has increased dramatically.

Join us in kicking off Lung Cancer Awareness Month by learning the latest in lung cancer from our local experts. Participate and ask questions as they discuss advances in research, therapies, and surgical interventions. Register for this free event here!

Meet Our Panelists:

Richard S. Lazzaro, MD, FACS | RWJBarnabas Health Monmouth Medical Center
Dr. Lazzaro is a board-certified thoracic surgeon and Chief of Thoracic Surgery, RWJBarnabas Health Southern Region, including Community Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus. RWJBarnabas Health together with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. He has a special interest in lung cancer surgery, including robotic assisted minimally invasive VATS surgery with a personal goal of providing the best thoracic surgical care to his patients. Working with his team that has a shared vision and a common purpose, they care for patients just as they would want their own families cared for. Dr. Lazzaro completed his medical degree at Albany Medical College, internship at North Shore University Hospital and fellowships at SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Jorge Gomez, MD | Mount Sinai Hospital
Dr. Jorge Gomez is a medical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of patients with lung cancer. He is the Associate Director for Clinical Operations in The Center for Thoracic Oncology and the World Trade Center oncology clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He started his lung cancer career as a member of the Thoracic Oncology Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, followed by five years with the Thoracic Oncology Program at the University of Miami. He dedicates his time to clinical research and patient care. His primary research interests are the therapeutics of lung cancer, including immunotherapy and targeted therapies, and has participated in multiple clinical trials with novel drugs. Dr. Gomez is a National Spokesperson and sits on the Lung Cancer Expert Medical Advisory Panel for the American Lung Association.

Stephanie Smith-Marrone, MD I NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Cancer Center
Stephanie Smith-Marrone, MD, is board certified in oncology and an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. She is also the director of the lung cancer disease management team and clinical trials, and the medical director at New York-Presbyterian Westchester Cancer Center (formerly Lawrence Hospital). Dr. Smith-Marrone specializes in medical oncology, lung cancer, and head and neck cancer. She offers her patients a personalized, supportive, and collaborative-care approach and works to improve their health by using scientific advances and individualized treatment options. Dr. Smith-Marrone completed her medical degree, internship, residency, and chief residency at Stony Brook University Medical Center in New York. She continued her training by serving a fellowship in hematology and oncology at Montefiore Medical Center.

Meet Our Moderator:

Elaine Shum, MD | NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center
Dr. Elaine Shum is an Assistant Professor and thoracic medical oncologist at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center. She graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor’s in Science in Biology and attended Stony Brook University School of Medicine for her medical degree. She completed her hematology and oncology fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein School of Medicine. At NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, she sees patients with thoracic malignancies and in the Phase I program. She is the principal investigator of several thoracic oncology and Phase I clinical trials. Her interests include new drug development, targeted therapies for lung cancer, and lung cancer in never smokers.

Contact us anytime and check back often for updates on Community Connections: The Latest in Lung Cancer!