Watch: Era of hope for patients with lung cancer

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:23) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Advancements in lung cancer management, from early diagnosis through treatment are improving patient outcomes.

"Lung cancer is not a death sentence anymore," says Dr. Rami Manochakian, a Mayo Clinic thoracic oncologist and lung cancer specialist. "There is a lot that can be done for patients with lung cancer."

Historically, chemotherapy was the only available treatment for patients with advanced lung cancer. Now, newer and more effective therapies are available through a personalized approach.

“Every patient's cancer tissue gets tested for biomarkers to look for actionable mutations or alterations that are believed to be the drivers of the cancer growth," says Dr. Manochakian. "If we find one of these mutations, which we have many at this point that have FDA-approved drugs or FDA-approved therapies, we will give that particular patient this drug that is targeting that change or that mutation."

The advancement in surgical and radiation therapies for early-stage lung cancer, as well as newer therapies for advanced lung cancer, such as targeted therapies and immunotherapy, are why Dr. Manochakian says it's a new era.

"I would call it an era of hope for patients with lung cancer because we are able to cure lung cancer at an early stage and we are able to treat cancer at a later stage," says Dr. Manochakian. "We're in an era where we're telling patients we have newer and better treatments that could help them live longer and live better.”

Related:

• Mayo Clinic Minute: Understanding lung cancer
• Lung cancer diagnosis innovation leads to higher survival rates

For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a nonpatient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

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On this week's Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Shanda Blackmon, a thoracic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, will explain lung cancer screening and surgical options for treating the disease. Dr. Blackmon also will cover mesothelioma, another type of cancer that often occurs in the tissue surrounding the lungs. Also on the program, Dr. Jamie Van Gompel, a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic, will explain how deep brain stimulation is being used to control seizures for some epilepsy patients. And Dr. Jon Ebbert, an internal medicine and addiction specialist at Mayo Clinic, will discuss alcohol use disorder.

Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post Lung cancer screening / deep brain stimulation for epilepsy / alcohol use disorder: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.