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Focusing on the treatment of metastatic, or stage 4 lung cancer, the Precision Medicine and Developmental Therapeutics Lung Cancer Clinic is part of the AHN Lung and Pleural Cancer Center of Excellence.
For those battling lung cancer, the road ahead can be extraordinarily challenging, especially if initial treatments have stopped working. The Precision Medicine and Developmental Therapeutics Lung Cancer Clinic offers tailored, targeted therapies precisely matched to each patient's individual needs. By analyzing the unique molecular characteristics of a patient's cancer, the clinic develops customized treatment plans that provide the greatest chance of success.
Our clinic's multidisciplinary team of oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, and supportive care providers work together to develop comprehensive treatment plans that maximize each patient's chances for recovery while promoting overall well-being. With compassion and unwavering determination, we pursue every possible avenue to help you overcome the disease.
For patients battling metastatic lung cancer, rapidly identifying and targeting the specific genetic drivers of the disease can mean the difference between life and death. The Precision Medicine and Developmental Therapeutics Clinic is committed to providing patients with the most advanced genomic analysis capabilities available today to identify ways to slow metastatic cancer.
Our Precision Medicine and Genomics Services examines the cancer’s makeup through in-depth genomic testing. Biopsies are carefully dissected into parts and run through all available tumor tests across 523 genes to sequence and find the mutations.
Imagine you have a giant, complex jigsaw puzzle with millions of pieces. Each piece represents a small part of your DNA, and the whole puzzle represents your entire genome.
Genomic sequencing is like taking a picture of every single piece of the puzzle.
The results of genomic sequencing are like having a complete inventory of all the puzzle pieces. This inventory tells us:
This comprehensive approach means higher accuracy and faster results than similar tests performed outside the AHN network. We perform extensive DNA and RNA sequencing across 523 genes using our in-house AHN Cancer Panel. This allows us to detect all clinically relevant genomic alterations that could be impacting a patient's lung cancer and response to treatment. This means patients’ treatment plans can be quickly changed or adjusted to meet their needs.
Lung cancer has one of the highest rates of genetic mutations, meaning it can rapidly change. This makes comprehensive genomic analysis critically important. A large proportion of patient’s genetic variations can be matched to targeted therapies proven more effective than conventional treatments alone. This genomics report guides your care team on which treatments could be the most effective against a specific type of cancer. We are constantly looking for the latest breakthroughs to add to our treatment approaches.
Metastatic lung cancer looks different in every patient. At AHN, we see you for your specific needs, not solely relying on what’s worked for past patients.
Treatment depends on the type of cancer, where it is located, and your overall health. There are more than 10 different molecular types of lung cancer that we can identify and treat with novel, targeted therapies. In addition, we use the latest immunotherapies to enhance the ability of the patient’s own immune system to find and destroy cancer cells. Some of these therapies are already FDA approved, while others are only available through clinical trials.
If you have a molecular lung cancer diagnosis, that means your care team will examine how the cancer grows and what they can do mitigate its growth. This is done by using drugs that specifically target certain cancer cells. Numerous therapies are now available to treat specific molecular types of lung cancer, including:
For more information on these specific therapies, consult with your care team.
Using immunotherapy to treat patients with lung cancer can have a significant positive impact. In general, we use immunotherapies in most patients with lung cancer whose tumors do not have any of the molecular alterations described above. These treatments are typically very well tolerated and can have a long-term impact in the patient’s disease.
Cellular therapies are a relatively new and exciting area of research in lung cancer treatment. They involve using living cells to fight cancer, offering a potentially more targeted and personalized approach compared to traditional therapies like chemotherapy or radiation.
At AHN, chemotherapy is often used in combination with immunotherapy or targeted therapies to enhance the treatment effects. Using chemotherapy on its own is mainly used in select cases when it’s believed the benefits will outweigh potential side effects.
Cancer treatment extends beyond the targeted therapies and conventional medicine. At AHN, we see you — beyond your diagnosis — and create a patient empowerment plan to support your whole health.
The Exercise Oncology program led by Colin Champ, MD, provides patients with an opportunity to embrace an evidence-based approach to offset treatment side effects and improve overall health through exercise. The program provides recommendations for building muscle, modifying diet, and incorporating movement to create greater chances for the body to respond positively to treatment. Exercise oncology can help manage symptoms, improve quality of life, and even reduce cancer recurrence.
The AHN Exercise Oncology and Resiliency Center is a 3,800 square foot exercise oncology facility with an adjacent exercise and metabolomics and proteomics lab. As the academic-based prototype facility, patients have access to state-of-the-art technologies measuring strength and body composition in addition to weight resistance and hypertrophy regimens. This highly specialized program is the only oncologist-run exercise research center in the country where Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist physicians and exercise physiologists are on the floor researching and coaching their patients.
This is a new way to help in cancer treatment outcomes, and AHN wants you to feel like you have all the tools to use against cancer.
If you have a serious illness, you know firsthand how it can affect everyday life. AHN pain and palliative care provides treatments and support services so you can find relief and help when and where you need.
AHN is among few programs in western Pennsylvania with a team of dedicated palliative care specialists. You have access to treatments, emotional support, and coordination services that ease the burden of a life-limiting illness. Members of our team are in regular communication, allowing us to deliver care that’s responsive to your needs.
Highlights of our program include:
This new program that began in fall 2023 is focused on breakthroughs with metastatic lung cancer patients. Led by Ariel Lopez-Chavez, MD, an internationally renowned expert in precision cancer medicine, this clinic provides an unparalleled level of personalized treatment for patients with lung cancer and other complex or advanced-stage cancers.
Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
Physician assistant
Registered nurse
If you need to make an appointment to discuss stage 4 metastatic lung cancer symptoms, testing, or treatment, we're here to help.
Call (412) 578-HOPE (412) 578-4673 to schedule an appointment at the Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute or request a call to be contacted by a Nurse Navigator.
We are always looking for new ways to treat cancer. Along with clinical trials for new targeted therapy options, we also look for other ways to help patients.
Along with our Genomics Services report analysis of tumor samples, we are also looking at the biomarkers found in blood. Liquid biopsies can indicate new mutations to help us continue treatment or may help us identify cancer recurrence faster.
The AHN Cancer Institute is a pioneer in cancer research and participates in clinical trials of new medical oncology therapies that are open for patients who qualify and wish to participate. Patients are screened for consideration with ongoing clinical trials at every stage of their treatment.
Clinical trials are studies that try to answer questions about new ways to treat cancer with medications, radiation, or surgical techniques. Previous trials have shown how new methods of treatment improve survival and quality of life and reduce the risk of cancer returning.
The plan for the trial, called a protocol, explains the goal of the trial and how the study will be conducted. Based on the questions the research is trying to answer, each clinical trial protocol outlines specific criteria necessary to be eligible to join the trial.
Common criteria for entering a trial are:
Federal rules help ensure that clinical trials are run ethically, with your rights and safety protected. These rules are in place to ensure that you are not put at increased risk by participating in the trial, and that the results of the study are accurate and meaningful.
If you would like to participate in a clinical trial and help our innovative team discover groundbreaking cancer solutions, ask your doctor if you are eligible to participate. See which clinical trials are currently active and open for participation.
There are three ways for medical professionals, who are not a part of AHN, to refer their patients to an AHN Cancer Institute specialist and request their first appointment.
You can:
For more information about referring your patient to an AHN specialist, read the Independent Physician Referral FAQs.
Follow your patient's health care at AHN with EpicCare® Link™ After referring your patient to an AHN specialist, use the EpicCare Link platform to collaborate with their AHN specialist and view your patient's test results, treatment plan, and progress.
Log in to your EpicCare Link account now.
If you are new to EpicCare Link, or need to request your own EpicCare Link account, read: EpicCare Link for Patient Follow-up, for user instructions and new account request forms.
If you can't access your patient's AHN test results through the EpicCare Link platform, your patient will need to complete and submit the correct AHN Medical Records Release form, based on their state of residency. Support your patient's request by downloading the correct medical records release form for them:
EpicCare® is a registered trademark of Epic Systems Corporation and used with permission.
EpicCare® Link™ is a trademark of Epic Systems Corporation and used with permission.
Learn more about our appointment options, second opinions, locations, referrals, and resources that are at your disposal.