Thoracic Surgeons on the Lung Cancer Team with David Tom Cooke, MD

Published on: February 9, 2023

Strategic Alliance Partnership | <b>American Lung Association</b>

Cooke joins the first episode of 2023 to discuss his colleague’s specific role in lung cancer screening and intervention and advances to minimally invasive, robotic and bronchoscopic techniques.

Episode Highlights

0:14 Intro
1:52 Introducing David T. Cooke, MD
3:23 The role of thoracic surgeons in improving lung cancer screening rates
6:22 Shared decision making in thoracic surgery
8:16 Lobar, wedge resection or segmentectomy? Plus, robotic techniques?12:22 PET/CT scans in the staging process
13:52 The surgeon approach to stage IV lung cancer
16:02 Patient follow-up—improved mortality and longer life expectancy
18:50 Prioritizing surgery and neoadjuvant therapy regimens
20:48 Thoracic surgeon role in palliative care
22:57 What’s on the horizon in the field: robotic surgery
24:17 Outro

Though sometimes seen as a later-stage—even final-stage—contributor to the lung cancer treatment strategy, thoracic surgeons have come into a more pronounced role throughout the entire continuum of disease detection and management.

What these unique care team members provide in 2023 reflect a field that's been evolving its screening strategies and treatment capabilities for years.

David Tom Cooke, MD, Founding Chief of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery at UC Davis, joins the first Lungcast episode of 2023 to discuss his colleague’s specific role in lung cancer screening and intervention, advances to minimally invasive, robotic and bronchoscopic techniques, and evolving strategies in individualized patient care.

In his conversation with American Lung Association (ALA) chief medical officer Albert Rizzo, MD, Cooke also discusses the involvement of patients in defining invasive and follow-up care strategies throughout lung cancer.

Lungcast is a monthly respiratory health podcast series from the ALA produced by HCPLive.

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