This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by
Maurie Markman, MD, President, Medicine & Science
This page was reviewed on June 16, 2022.
We know the stress and uncertainty that comes with news that an X-ray or CT scan has revealed a suspicious or abnormal spot on your lung. One of the first things you’ll need to know is if the mass or nodule is cancerous and requires immediate attention. Getting a fast, accurate diagnosis is essential to your peace of mind and your future care, no matter the result. Lung nodules may be an early sign of lung cancer. They may also be a sign of metastatic cancer that originated in another part of the body. Either way, early detection of malignant lung nodules leads to early care, giving doctors access to more treatment options.
At City of Hope Phoenix, our team of cancer experts knows that time is of the essence, working quickly to provide a diagnosis—in as few as four days. Our doctors use state-of-the-art technology, including artificial intelligence, to diagnose lung nodules. If tests confirm a lung cancer diagnosis, we’ll work with you and your personal care physician on a personalized treatment plan that carefully transitions you back to his or her care when your treatment is complete.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) is now City of Hope®, joining forces to expand patient access to personalized, comprehensive cancer care.
The lung experts at City of Hope Phoenix work together, even before you walk in the door, to get you the information you need to make important decisions about your care. Your multidisciplinary care team may include an interventional radiologist, a pulmonologist, a thoracic surgeon and a medical oncologist. These experts work under one roof, meeting together as a team to analyze all your diagnostic tests and information on-site. Our model of care makes collaboration and communication more efficient, allowing us to condense a process—one that often takes weeks—into just a few days.
From the moment you call, we expedite the scheduling process, verify your insurance, collect your medical records and, for qualifying patients, make travel and accommodation arrangements, if necessary, to get you in as quickly as possible. By the time you arrive at City of Hope Phoenix, our expert lung team has already reviewed your records and gathered much of the information you need to make decisions about your treatment options. During your initial consultation, you’ll meet with an internist, who in conjunction with a thoracic surgeon and pulmonologist will determine which type of biopsy, if any, should be performed. You may also undergo more tests over the next day or two, with results available no later than Day 4 of your visit.
At that time, your care team will provide you with a diagnosis and make recommendations on what to do next, based on whether the nodule is benign or malignant. If you learn you have cancer, a medical oncologist, a thoracic surgeon and, possibly, a radiation oncologist will recommend a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your specific case and your individual needs.
Your care team may also include a registered dietitian, pain management physician, behavioral health provider and other supportive care providers. These clinicians help you manage side effects and maintain your strength and quality of life before, during and after treatment.
Lung cancer is the second-most common non-skin cancer among American men and women, after prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. It’s also the most common cause of cancer deaths in America. But with screening, early detection and innovative treatment options, more lung cancer patients are living longer than ever before. The key is early detection.
Doctors have more treatment options to treat patients with lung cancer when the disease is diagnosed in its early stages. Patients diagnosed with lung cancer before it’s had a chance to spread have a five-year survival rate of 63 percent. That rate drops to 7 percent when the cancer has metastasized.
Our cancer experts designed this four-day diagnostic program because we want our patients to get the comprehensive care they need more quickly.
