Hackensack Meridian Health

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About Us

Whether you need lung cancer screening or have been diagnosed with cancer, the experts at Hackensack Meridian Health’s Lung, Esophageal and Thoracic Oncology Program will deliver world-class care. Our program offers a full range of leading-edge treatments, including:

  • Surgery
  • Radiation therapy
  • Chemotherapy
  • Immunotherapy
  • Targeted therapy
  • Clinical trials

Additionally, our program provides patients with access to:

Personalized treatment: Our thoracic oncologists will carefully evaluate the stage and biology of your cancer and provide you with the most effective, least invasive treatment options.

Advanced research: Hackensack Meridian Health has the largest clinical research team in New Jersey— giving our patients access to some of the nation’s most promising clinical trials. Our dedicated Phase I clinical trial program assesses developing diagnostic and treatment methods, including innovative investigational drugs that are not available at other centers.

Our Lung Cancer Screening Program

Hackensack Meridian Health’s comprehensive Lung Cancer Screening Program offers lung cancer screening with a low-dose spiral CT scan for people at risk of developing lung cancer. All private health insurance plans and Medicare cover lung cancer screening for patients who meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Current or former smoker who has quit in the last 15 years.
  • Between the ages of 50 and 80 years old;
  • No symptoms of lung cancer; and
  • Have at least a 20-pack-year smoking history, such as two packs per day for 10 years, or one pack a day for 20 years.

If you are experiencing lung cancer symptoms or have an abnormal imaging finding, we offer diagnostic services including:

  • Advanced imaging, such as X-ray, CT, MRI and PET scans
  • Biomarker blood testing
  • Biopsy to take a sample of tumor tissue for analysis in the lab. A biopsy may be performed using bronchoscopy, robotic-assisted bronchoscopy or needle biopsy techniques.
  • Genetic tumor profiling to learn about the cancer’s origin, biology and behavior

    • To learn more about our Lung Cancer Screening Program, visit https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/Services/Cancer-Care/Lung-Cancer-Screening or call 844-HMH-WELL (844-464-9355).

    Our Multidisciplinary Approach

    Treating lung, esophageal and thoracic cancer requires a comprehensive treatment from a variety of specialists. Your care team will review your case and provide you with a personalized care plan based on your health, the type and stage of your lung cancer, and the recommendations of multiple specialists.

    Your team will include:

    • Thoracic surgeons
    • Thoracic medical oncologists
    • Radiation oncologists
    • Pathologists
    • Radiologists
    • Nurse navigators
    • Social workers

    Our Thoracic Surgery Program

    Hackensack Meridian Health is nationally recognized for our expertise in thoracic surgery, which focuses on the chest organs, including the heart, lungs, esophagus and trachea. Our Thoracic Surgery Program offers:

    Experience treating complex conditions: Our thoracic surgeons treat lung cancers, esophageal cancers, mediastinal tumors and a range of complex benign diseases and conditions of the chest. We also treat patients whose cancer has metastasized from other locations to the lungs, chest wall or mediastinum. Our team often treats advanced tumors that are considered untreatable or inoperable at other centers.

    Minimally invasive surgical expertise: Our program Is among the three largest programs in the New York metropolitan area for robotic-assisted surgery and is an international leader in the use of this technology. More than 80 percent of our surgical treatments and evaluations are performed using minimally invasive or robotic-assisted approaches, which results in smaller incisions, a shorter hospital stay, less pain after surgery and a faster recovery time. As a result, our average overnight hospital stay following lobectomy for lung cancer is half the national average (two days versus four days).

    Comprehensive surgical treatment options: In addition to minimally invasive procedures, we perform traditional “open” procedures when necessary, including for complex airway surgeries, chest wall tumors and large tumors of the mediastinum.

    To learn more about our Thoracic Surgery Program, visit https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/Services/Surgical-Services/Thoracic-Surgery or call 844-HMH-WELL (844-464-9355).