Thoracic Oncology

Introduction

The Thoracic Oncology Division cares for patients with primary and metastatic lung cancer, mediastinal tumors and pleural tumors. To provide assistance to our patients through multidisciplinary care, the staff of the Division work closely with co-medicals, thoracic surgeons, radiation oncologists and psychiatrists who have expertise in these areas. We also conduct clinical research to better understand these tumors and to develop new and more effective diagnostic methods and treatments. Residents and trainees from domestic and overseas institutions have joined the Thoracic Oncology Program.

Routine Activities

Our Outpatient Clinic, managed by staff members, is open from Monday to Friday for the examination of all new referred patients and the evaluation of returning patients. We also examine patients who are candidates for surgical resection. The Division staff are responsible for reading chest X-rays and CTs at the hospital. Bronchoscopy for diagnosis and treatment is performed from Monday to Thursday afternoon. Fluoroscopic-CT guided needle lung biopsies and fluoroscopic-guided needle biopsies are performed on the same day as bronchoscopy. For patient management, we use approximately 90 beds in conjunction with the Thoracic Surgery Division.
Case conferences for thoracic surgery, medical oncology and nursing staff are scheduled on Tuesday evenings, Wednesday evenings and Friday afternoons, respectively. The Division’s staff and residents attend a journal club on Wednesday mornings alongside the thoracic surgery staff. The Division staff also presents case reports and research results for subspecialty education at monthly meetings with physicians in private practices.

● K. Kubota ●

Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
#Patients 381 422 445 525 518 553 583 571 591 590 577
Stage of disease
  IA + IB
  IIA+ IIB
  IIIA
  IIIB
  IV 		 
141
24
21
65
130		  
149
39
29
63
142		  
187
22
39
77
120		  
206
28
41
113
137		  
194
34
50
106
134		  
208
41
46
89
169		  
232
44
35
108
164		  
213
30
53
118
157		  
238
42
61
98
152		  
243
37
42
112
156		  
209
52
50
96
170
Histology
  Adenocarcinoma
  Squamous cell ca.
  Small cell ca.
  Large cell ca.
  NSCLC + Others		  
229
95
46
1
10		  
273
86
37
6
20		  
270
96
42
10
27		  
307
118
58
6
36		  
284
114
68
13
39		  
329
120
48
11
45		  
355
117
58
15
38		  
331
110
58
13
59		  
334
118
71
18
50		  
322
104
68
21
75		  
321
117
59
20
60
Treatment
  Chemo → surgery
  Surgery
  Chemotherapy (CT)
  CT+RT
  surgery Chemo
  Radiotherapy (RT)
  Laser therapy
  Palliative care		  
1
164
125
23
0
18
0
50		  
1
183
138
29
0
23
1
47		  
2
197
129
56
0
26
1
34		  
4
226
182
70
0
18
2
23		  
8
221
204
57
0
13
0
15		  
6
237
208
68
3
10
2
19		  
2
252
215
67
17
8
3
19		  
4
209
211
79
37
14
1
16		  
11
210
190
98
51
13
0
18		  
4
245
209
69
32
10
0
21		  
6
188
205
70
73
8
2
25

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