How to Choose a Lung Cancer Treatment Center

Choosing the best hospital for lung cancer is one of the biggest decisions you’ll face during what is an overwhelming and difficult time. Luckily the best lung cancer hospitals in the United States are some of the top in the world.

You might be lucky enough to have a top-ranked cancer hospital within minutes of your home. But more than likely, you will need to investigate the best lung cancer treatment centers in your area and determine whether they suit your needs or if you should travel to a far-off facility for more specialized care.

The Best Hospitals

Visit the websites of cancer treatment centers and get information about the services offered. You can always call and ask any questions you have as well. Here are some of the top recognized hospitals for lung cancer in the country.

Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center 

The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center in Boston, Massachusettes, has more than 60 members in its lung cancer program, with various areas of expertise, including smoking and genetics, mRNA expression patterns, and new therapeutic treatments.

The Cancer Center is home to Profile, one of the world’s most comprehensive cancer precision medicine initiatives, which allows researchers to analyze tumors genetically. The database consists of more than 30,000 tumor samples.

University of Colorado Denver

With a specialty in lung and chest cavity cancer treatment, the University of Colorado Health (UC Health) is a top choice for many with lung cancer. Lung cancer patients who are treated at UC Health have a five-year survival of nearly 39%, compared to the national average of 23%.

The hospital’s Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of 51 elite cancer centers, according to the National Cancer Institute. It has more than 80 National Cancer Institute grants, totaling over $17 million for cancer research in everything from developmental anticancer therapies to the environment of tissues’ and cancers’ impact on the development of the disease.

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center

The Mayo Clinic’s headquarters are located in Rochester, Minnesota, but the hospital also has locations in Arizona and Florida. Throughout its three locations, the Mayo has 65 cancer specialists and treats more than 6,000 lung cancer patients per year.

The hospital boasts minimally invasive surgery options, including video-assisted thoracoscopic and robotic surgeries. The Mayo Clinic participates in many clinical trials, and was part of the landmark study for lung cancer screening. Currently, it’s studying the effects of radiation therapy versus immune therapy treatment for those with small-cell lung cancer.

Stanford Cancer Institute

The Stanford Cancer Institute in Palo Alto, California, is known for its multidisciplinary research and patient care in lung and pancreatic cancer.

The Stanford Cancer Institute offers a wide variety of treatment options for lung cancer patients, ranging from medications and radiation to genomic tumor profiling and thoracic surgery. The center has been recognized by U.S. News’ best-of lists, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and ASTRO’s Accreditation Program for Excellence.

Cleveland Clinic’s Ohio Premier Cancer Center

Cleveland Clinic features more than 300 locations across the U. S., but its lung cancer center, the Taussig Cancer Institute, is located in Weston, Florida, with an additional location in northern Ohio. Cleveland’s lung cancer department includes more than 30 specialists, ranging from pulmonologists to radiologists.

The clinic is devoted to lung cancer research and is currently leading one around Alrizomadlin, a protein inhibitor, and its impact on tumors.

Other Great Hospitals to Explore

The list of word-renowned hospitals for lung cancer doesn’t stop there. Here are some other top-ranking options to explore:

Why Your Choice Matters

The treatment of lung cancer is changing rapidly, and it’s important to find medical experts who can offer you the most up-to-date options for your disease.

Researchers have compared how different types of cancer centers affect outcomes for people with stage 4 lung cancer. Those who sought out care at academic centers had significantly greater survival rates than those who were treated at community-based cancer centers. The difference in outcomes was greatest for those with lung adenocarcinoma.

There are many potential explanations for these differences, but it’s assumed that these facilities house specialists who are familiar with the latest approaches and information on clinical trials. Thus, some experts suggest that patients with lung cancer diagnoses seek help at institutions that are designated comprehensive cancer centers by the National Cancer Institute.

Factors to Consider

There are several factors to consider as you narrow down your options for the best hospital for lung cancer. It may be tempting to want to jump in and begin treatment as quickly as you can. But slowing down and considering important factors related to treatment will ensure that you make the best decision for your goals and needs.

When you sit down to evaluate where to seek help, things to consider include:

• Facility’s record of quality care
• Ability to cover all your needs
• Staff’s experience
• Treatment options you want
• Location
• What type of insurance coverage they take

Quality of Care

Choosing a lung cancer hospital that has a record for providing high-quality care should be your number one priority. Thankfully, a few databases are available to help you research this.

Two of the most helpful resources include:

• American College of Surgeons (ACS): The ACS has put together a list that includes more than 1,500 cancer centers accredited by the organization’s Commission on Cancer (Coc). To be included, these centers have to comply with certain standards and must be dedicated to providing the best in cancer diagnosis and treatment. About 70% of patients who are newly diagnosed seek care at one of these centers.
• The National Cancer Institute (NCI): The NCI has a list of roughly 70 designated centers. Several requirements are needed for a cancer center to make the list, one of which is that the center is actively taking part in research to decrease the death rates from cancer.

Comprehensiveness of Care

Lung cancer treatment is complex. You will need to see several specialists who attend to different aspects of the disease or conditions related to your lung cancer.

This team may include:

• Oncologist: A physician who specializes in treating cancer
• Thoracic surgeon: A surgeon who performs lung cancer surgery
• Radiation oncologist: A cancer doctor who specializes in radiation treatment
• Pulmonologist: A lung specialist
• Palliative care specialists: Physicians who specialize in treating the physical and emotional symptoms caused by cancer

In addition, your team may include physical therapists, respiratory therapists, and other physicians, depending on what other issues you’re experiencing.

These doctors need to be able to communicate and work together. One advantage of seeking care at one of the larger cancer treatment hospitals is that they can offer access to all of these specialists in one place.

Patient Volume

While there is much to say about small facilities that offer a very personalized approach to care, big cancer centers that specialize in treating large numbers of cancer patients have their own benefits.

One advantage is that they often have access to the latest and greatest in technology. For instance, technology such as cutting edge imaging and radiation therapy resources is expensive; only a center that would be using these machines often would invest in the newest equipment.

When you have a large number of patients, you get a lot of experience. So doctors in these larger cancer centers are more likely to be familiar with your specific type of cancer, even if it’s not the most common manifestation of the disease.

Also, studies suggest that people who have lung cancer surgery at high-volume hospitals suffer fewer complications and fare better overall compared to patients at facilities where doctors see fewer lung cancer patients.

Treatment Options Offered

The particular lung cancer treatments you’re interested in trying may not be available at every type of cancer center. For example:

Even among larger cancer centers that now offer a wider range of therapies, some centers are more focused on integrative treatments than others.

Location

For some people, receiving care at a lung cancer hospital near their home or family is very important; others may be more willing and/or able to travel for treatment.

If you choose to travel, ask about housing when you make your appointment. Some cancer centers have hospitality houses nearby that provide lodging free of charge during cancer treatment. The center may also be able to offer discounts on local hotels.

Traveling for treatment, whether by car or plane, can be expensive. Keep in mind that transportation and lodging for medical reasons are deductible medical expenses.

Insurance Constraints

It’s important to check with your insurance company to see if they cover treatment at the cancer centers you are considering. It’s also important to ask if the center is in-network or out-of-network.

Out-of-network providers and centers are often covered, but with higher co-pays or deductibles. Choosing a cancer center under your insurance plan will help considerably with the costs.

If a treatment is not covered under your insurance plan, you can still have it—you’ll just be required to pay for it out-of-pocket. This is true for many of the integrative treatments for cancer such as massage therapy and acupuncture.

Questions to Ask

That’s a lot to keep in mind, and it’s easy to get off-track when meeting with cancer center staff members who are sure to provide you with a lot of information in one sitting.

It may help to keep these and any other questions you have handy during your discussion.

For a meeting to discuss a diagnosis or treatment recommendations:

• What treatments do you recommend for my particular cancer?
• What is the survival rate for the recommended treatment?
• What side effects or complications should I be aware of?
• What are the reasons for your recommendations?

For a meeting to discuss receiving treatment at the new doctor’s facility:

• Who will coordinate my care with all the specialists I see? Will I have a case manager?
• How difficult is it to get an appointment?
• Who would I contact on evenings or weekends when I have questions?
• If I need to be hospitalized, where would I be admitted?
• Can I receive all of my care at your facility, or would I need to travel to different locations (for chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc.)?
• Can I talk to any of your patients about their experience being treated?

Then, after the meeting, evaluate how things went:

• Did the healthcare team offer me respect? Did they listen carefully?
• Were my questions answered? Were their answers clear or filled with medical jargon?
• What is my “gut” telling me about the center? Would my loved ones feel comfortable there?

Getting a Second Opinion

Some people are hesitant to ask for a second opinion. They may be afraid they’ll offend their physician or to take the time needed to investigate another opinion.

It’s important to keep in mind that getting a second opinion when you have cancer is not uncommon; in fact, it’s almost expected. Just as you would check out more than one dealership when purchasing a new car, checking out more than one doctor or treatment center is very important to feeling secure in your decision making.

It’s helpful to ask the same questions of any care team you meet with, so you have clear points of comparison. On the one hand, you may find an approach that better meets your needs. On the other, if the opinions are similar, you’ll feel more comfortable that you’re on the right track.

It does take some time to arrange a second opinion. Sometimes urgent treatment is needed and you may have to make decisions quickly, which may not allow for such consultation. But more often than not, there’s a window of time to seek out other opinions before starting treatment.

Summary

Many of the top cancer centers in the U.S. offer world-class care, but you may need to look beyond your local options for the best treatment. Hospitals like the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, the Mayo Clinic, and the Stanford Cancer Institute provide advanced treatments, including precision medicine and minimally invasive surgery, along with access to clinical trials.

When choosing a hospital, think about factors like the quality of care, the experience of the specialists, and the treatments available. Larger centers often have the newest technology and more experience with rare cases. It’s also important to consider things like location, insurance coverage, and whether you want a second opinion. Asking the right questions during your consultations will help ensure the hospital’s approach fits your needs and treatment goals.