As a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)—an alliance of the world’s leading cancer centers — we are at the forefront of outcomes research. Our multidisciplinary group is investigating lung cancer through basic, translational, and clinical research. A wide variety of clinical and research projects are led by our thoracic surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists, as well as basic scientists, population scientists, pulmonologists, and radiologists.
Thoracic Cancer
Duke Cancer Institute’s thoracic cancer disease group is recognized for its innovative, aggressive, and personalized approach to detecting and treating lung cancer, the leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S. Our lung cancer program guides treatment decisions for the newly diagnosed or those seeking a second opinion.
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Contacts
Nolan Miller
Administrative Director
nolan.miller@duke.edu 919-684-1671Debra Shoemaker
Assistant Research Practice Manager
debra.shoemaker@duke.edu 919-681-4768Leadership
Gary Hock Distinguished Professor of Surgery
Associate Director, Clinical Research
Associate Director, Operations
Medical Director, Lung Cancer Screening
Medical Oncology
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Professor of Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine
Yeshu Conn
Nurse Practitioner
George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Cancer
Tara Herrmann
Physician Assistant
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Professor of Medicine
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine
Professor of Medicine
Jennifer Tenhover
Nurse Practitioner
Surgical Oncology
S. Balderson
Physician Assistant
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Hunter Clark
Nurse Practitioner
Hilary Crittenden
Nurse Practitioner
Thoracic Oncology Program Director
Robert Ferguson
Nurse Practitioner
George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Cancer
Professor of Surgery
Jenny Hinderer
Physician Assistant
Kasey Johnson
Nurse Practitioner
Associate Professor of Surgery
Erin Kunz
Physician Assistant
Roshni Mapp
Physician Assistant
Michelle Metzler
Physician Assistant
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Associate Professor of Surgery
Radiation Oncology
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
Professor of Radiation Oncology
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
Diagnostic Radiology
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Professor of Radiology
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Professor of Radiology
Professor of Radiology
Associate Professor of Radiology
Medical Professor in the Department of Radiology
Medical Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology
Associate Professor of Radiology
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Associate Professor of Radiology
Associate Professor of Radiology
Interventional Pulmonology
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Professor of Medicine
Medical Instructor in the Department of Medicine
Lung Cancer Screening
Professor of Radiology
Hilary Crittenden
Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioner
Associate Professor of Radiology
Associate Professor of Surgery
Jennifer Wilkins
Nurse Practitioner
Our thoracic oncology surgeons are national leaders in minimally invasive surgical procedures. We perform more than 1,600 minimally invasive surgeries every year on all types and stages of lung cancer. As a result, patients experience less post-operative pain and recover faster.
Our radiation oncologists have access to specialized techniques, such as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for early-stage lung cancer and radiation treatment planning aided by four-dimensional computed tomography (4D CT).
Our board-certified lung imaging specialists undergo advanced training in the early detection of lung cancer.
An important research strategy is the study of how individual genes affect oncogenesis and tumor progress. In the laboratory, some investigators are studying mouse models to determine the role of stem cells in the development of cancer in humans and in the development of resistance to treatment.
Clinically, researchers hope to discover how to use unique genetic mutations to personalize treatment and are looking at subgroups of patients to see how they respond to treatment.
Several studies are also ongoing utilizing a large tissue bank and database of patients treated for lung cancer at Duke University since 1995.
For example, some researchers are studying epidemiological factors related to lung cancer — why certain patient groups respond to treatment better than others.
In addition, other researchers are examining the role of age, gender, minimally invasive surgery, and other patient-specific factors in outcomes, including quality of life.
Lung cancer clinical research at Duke has focused on biomarker discovery and development —the use of molecular signatures to improve the assessment of prognosis and the development of specific new therapies.
The formation of the program has allowed for the optimal collaboration of the best basic science underway on the Duke campus with ongoing clinical and translational lung cancer research programs.
Our medical oncologists have developed several drugs that have received FDA approval. These drugs help improve patient outcomes.
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This page was reviewed
on 01/17/2024