Treatments

Treatment is determined by the type and stage of lung cancer. Treatment may be surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted drug therapy, or a combination of treatments.

Emphysema is a progressive disease that in some cases will significantly compromise the quality of life for people with severe emphysema. Inhalers may help only about 10% of people with severe emphysema. The most effective operation has been lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS).

The treatment of mediastinal cancers depends on the type of tumor and its location. Options include: thymoma, lymphomas, neurogenic tumors, and minimally invasive surgery.

Thoracic Surgery encompass all aspects of chest diseases. At Saint John’s Health Center, our thoracic surgeons are internationally recognized and committed to the best possible outcomes. Our patients come from all over the world to have their operation with our surgical team.

Today, myasthenia gravis can generally be controlled. There are several therapies available to help reduce and improve muscle weakness. Medications used to treat the disorder include anticholinesterase agents such as neostigmine and pyridostigmine, which help improve neuromuscular transmission and increase muscle strength.

The diaphragm is a muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities; it is controlled by the phrenic nerves. Treatment for paralyzed diaphragm is an elective operation so the symptoms need to be bad enough to justify the operation.

Initial treatment is either observation if the patient is stable, not hypoxic and the pneumothorax is small. If the patient is unstable, hypoxic, or the pneumothorax is large, then the pleura is drained with a catheter or a chest tube.

Between the rib cage and the collarbone (clavicle) is a space where the main blood vessels and nerves pass from the neck and the chest into the arm. This space is called the thoracic outlet.