Mediastinal Treatment Options

Treatment Overview. The Lacks Cancer Center offers a team of surgeons—including an experienced thoracic surgeon—with considerable expertise in the specialty of mediastinal cancer. Depending on the type and location of the cancer, a variety of therapies may be used in the treatment of the disease including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgical removal of the tumor and affected tissues, or a combination of approaches.
 

• Radiation Therapy. The goal of radiation therapy is to kill cancer cells while harming as little normal tissue as possible. This therapy may be used before, during and/or after chemotherapy, and is delivered in one of two ways—depending on the type and stage of cancer being treated. Radiation can either be administered to the affected area(s) from outside the body or, in other instances, inserted through a needle or catheter into or near the cancer.
• Chemotherapy. This treatment uses potent drugs to eradicate, shrink, slow the growth of, or prevent cancer from spreading. Typically, a combination of drugs is administered intravenously (directly into the veins) in a series of treatments over a period of weeks or months, with breaks in-between so that the patient’s body can recover.

Surgical Options. Traditional surgeries involving the removal of large mediastinal tumors are usually performed through incisions called sternotomies (dividing the breast bone) or thoracotomies (dividing the ribs). Although these approaches are still necessary for sizable tumors because they allow access to the entire chest cavity, a number of minimally invasive techniques have been developed that are just as effective as conventional procedures, but result in less pain and shorter recovery time for our patients. These techniques include mini-sternotomy (hemisternotomy), mini-thoracotomy and video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).
 

• Mini-Sternotomy or Hemisternotomy. A procedure in which the upper portion of the sternum (breastbone) is divided, allowing access to the mediastinum. This procedure is similar to a traditional sternotomy, but it results in less pain and shorter recovery time.
• Mini-Thoracotomy. This procedure accesses the mediastinal cavity with a non-rib-spreading incision. This approach lessens pain and recovery time compared to traditional postural lateral thoracotomies.
• Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS). Using a tiny camera inserted into a pencil-sized incision, the surgeon looks inside the chest cavity, retrieves tissue samples and removes mediastinal.
•  Robotic Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery. Using the da Vinci Robot we are able to biopsy and resect lesions in all areas of the mediastinum.

Seek the most aggressive treatments available from our Multidisciplinary Lung Clinic with a referral from your primary care physician or with a self-referral by calling 1-877-LACKS-MI or 616-685-LACK(S).