Our multi-disciplinary team provides expertise to treat all conditions and disorders of lungs and chest at 6 convenient locations.
Call 844-901-0097 for more information.
Thoracic Oncology Program
Providence Thoracic Oncology Program serves patients with cancers and conditions of the chest, including lung cancer. Our team will deliver the most accurate diagnosis and recommend the most effective treatment. Our goal is to help you recover as quickly and fully as possible.
Thoracic Oncology Program
Providence Thoracic Oncology Program serves patients with cancers and conditions of the chest, including lung cancer. Our team will deliver the most accurate diagnosis and recommend the most effective treatment. Our goal is to help you recover as quickly and fully as possible.
Our board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons, thoracic surgical oncologists and medical oncologists have the expertise to treat all your common conditions and rare disorders of the lungs and chest. Our team will work together with you to create a personalized treatment plan.
Whether you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, thymoma, mesothelioma or a chest mass, we are here to help. We also treat patients who may have non-cancerous symptoms or pain from a chest condition, such as thoracic outlet syndrome or a diaphragm disorder.
When you work with the Providence thoracic team, you know you’re getting the best possible care. Our multi-disciplinary team of thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists collaborates closely to provide cutting-edge diagnostic procedures to state-of-the-art surgical options and treatment.
There are many different conditions and cancers that can happen in the thoracic (chest) region. The most common include:
We’re here to help you understand your risk for these conditions and catch any sign of lung cancer early. Call your provider if you think you may be at risk for lung cancer or are having trouble breathing or chest pain.
Symptoms of COPD often involve:
- A long-lasting (chronic) cough
- Chest pain or tightness
- Fatigue
- Frequent respiratory infections
- Trouble swallowing or breathing
- Weight loss
For conditions like lung cancer, symptoms don’t often appear until the cancer is more severe. Different people have different symptoms for lung cancer.
If symptoms do appear, they may include:
- Chest pain
- A cough that does not go away
- Coughing up blood
- Loss of appetite
- Trouble swallowing or breathing, such as shortness of breath or wheezing
- Unexplained weight loss
While many people associate lung cancer with smoking, more people who have never smoked, or smoked many years ago, are developing lung cancer. If you experience any of these lung cancer symptoms, talk to your doctor.
There are some risk factors that can make people more likely to develop a thoracic condition or cancer.
These include:
- Asbestos exposure
- Environmental pollution
- Family history
- Radon exposure
- Smoking
- Secondhand smoke
Benign chest conditions have many different symptoms, including:
- Arm pain, tingling or numbness (thoracic outlet syndrome)
- Chest pain (Pectus excavatum)
- Trouble breathing while lying flat or bending over (diaphragm disorders)
- Weakness (Myasthenia gravis)
We treat patients with cancer and other conditions of the chest.
Non-cancerous (benign) chest conditions:
- Diaphragm disorders
- Diaphragm paralysis
- Lung abscess
- Lung Infections
- Myasthenia gravis
- Pectus excavatum
- Pleural effusion
- Pneumothorax
- Rib and sternal fractures
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Thoracic schwannomas
- Tracheal stenosis
Cancerous (malignant) conditions:
- Chest masses
- Esophageal cancer
- Lung cancer
- Lung masses
- Lymphoma diagnosis
- Mesothelioma
- Pleural tumor
- Thymoma
Other:
- Chest wall deformities
- Hyperhidrosis
- Lung nodule
- Mediastinal masses
- Pulmonary emphysema
We’re here to make sure you receive the best treatment available for your thoracic condition. Our team of experts works together to design your personalized treatment plan using the best available therapies.
At the core of the Providence Thoracic Oncology Program is a team of lung cancer experts – medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, thoracic surgeons and pulmonologists – with the patient's condition and personalized treatment in mind.
Many new treatment options have been discovered and researched within the past few years, providing better outcomes and survival benefits. We use the most recent medical developments and clinical trials to give patients the best possible quality of life.
Lung cancer treatment may include:
- Targeted therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy: Multiple therapies can be used together or separately to target cancer cells. These drugs may be injected into a vein or taken orally to enter the bloodstream and treat the cancer. Providence has been involved in developing new immunotherapy treatments for over 25 years. Providence is also known globally for robust research and breakthrough treatments offered to patients.
- Radiation therapy: In some cases, radiation is used in combination with chemotherapy to reduce the size of tumors. Providence offers multiple types of radiation therapy to treat lung cancer.
- Surgery: Providence Cancer Institute thoracic surgeons use minimally invasive techniques to reduce surgical complications and enhance your recovery.
- Genomic sequencing looks at your tumor’s DNA so that your physicians can understand the unique mutations. This helps your care team determine what treatments may be most successful.
- Breakthrough research and clinical trials through the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute
- Genetic counseling and testing
Patients can start care at a clinic convenient to them.
Providence Thoracic Surgery provides specialized surgical treatment for disorders of the chest and lungs. Our thoracic surgeons use minimally invasive techniques such as robotic and video assisted surgery to reduce recovery time and get you home sooner. Our goal is to return you home safely and enhance your recovery after surgery.
Clinical trials are research studies that test whether new medical treatments, devices or strategies are safe and effective. Patients who volunteer for clinical trials play an active role in their own health care. They often gain access to experimental treatments and help others by improving and advancing medical care.
At Providence, our thoracic surgeons and oncologists work directly with our researchers to find appropriate trials for you. Clinical trials give you access to the latest treatments available.
More than 150 trials are open at any time.
Learn more about our researchWhy Choose Us for Your Cancer Care?
Lung Screening FAQs
A lung cancer screening is a test for finding lung cancer early, even before you have symptoms. The recommended lung cancer screening is a low-dose computed tomography (CT) lung scan, also known as LDCT. This screening test uses low doses of x-rays to find abnormal areas in your lungs that may be cancer. This is the only proven effective way to screen for lung cancer.
Talk with your doctor if you have any concern about your lung cancer risks. Your doctor can help to decide if lung cancer screening is right for you and give you the information you need. You should also check with your health insurance provider about your screening coverage.
The current lung cancer screening recommendations for adults include:
- Ages 50-80 and
- Still smoking or have quit within the past 15 years and
- Smoked at least a pack of cigarettes each day for 20 years
At Providence, we have established a lung cancer screening program to provide screenings with the best quality of care.
- We use low-dose CT scans, resulting in less radiation exposure than standard CT imaging.
- Each patient’s scans are reviewed by a team of doctors at multidisciplinary cancer
conferences where providers discuss diagnoses, treatment planning, and other case specific topics. - We follow all standards and best practices for screening quality, radiation dose and process for diagnosis.
- The Lung Cancer Alliance has named us a Lung Cancer Screening Center of Excellence. This recognizes Providence for following best practices when it comes to screening quality and follow-up care.
- We work across the Providence network to ensure you get the care you need – from screening through treatment and beyond.
- Learn more about lung cancer screening
- Should I get screened?
- For more information on low-dose CT lung cancer screenings, call 844-925-0942.
Meet the Team
At Providence, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.
Recognition
U.S. News & World Report - High Performing Hospital in Lung Cancer Surgery (2024-25)
American College of Surgeons (ACS) - Commission on Cancer Accredited Program
Related Resources
Lung cancer is not one-size-fits-all. There are many types – including small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer – and sub-types. Your specific type of lung cancer impacts how it affects your body and what treatment you need.
Hear from Rachel Sanborn, M.D., Medical Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at Providence Cancer Institute, about lung cancer causes, symptoms, treatments and new research.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S. – usually because you may not notice lung cancer symptoms until the cancer has spread.
The good news is that lung cancer screenings help find the disease early, even if you don’t have symptoms. Screening for lung cancer increases the chance of an earlier diagnosis when treatment is more effective.
Ask your primary care doctor if a CT lung cancer screening is right for you.
Part of Providence Cancer Institute of Oregon
Providence Cancer Institute is a leading provider of cancer care in Oregon, and part of the largest community-based cancer-care network in the United States. Regardless of where you go for care, you have an entire team of cancer experts working together to provide a personalized, whole-person approach to your care. At Providence we see more than a cancer diagnosis, we see the life in you and are committed to helping you live well again.
