Lung and Thoracic Cancer

ROADAT Diagnoses and Treats Early-Stage Lung Cancer in Just a Few Hours

Robotic one anesthetic diagnosis and treatment (ROADAT) is a set of procedures that assess, diagnose and remove early-stage lung cancer in one session. It enables us to treat cancer in a few hours instead of separate procedures weeks apart. UMass Memorial was the first program in New England and among a small number in the nation offering this technique.

You remain asleep and under anesthesia during the entire ROADAT procedure. It involves: 

• Bronchoscopy: Pulmonologists slide a long, thin tube down your throat. Robotic technology helps us access nodules deep in the lungs and take a tissue sample. 
• Diagnosis: Pathologists immediately run lab studies on the sample to confirm or rule out cancer. 
  Treatment: If it’s cancer or another illness which requires surgery, a thoracic surgeon uses robotic surgical technologies to remove the tumor. 
   

Additional Lung Cancer Services We Provide

Our comprehensive approach to lung cancer care includes:

• Early detection: Our program is home to a nationally recognized lung cancer screening program. We use low-dose CT scans to safely and accurately detect lung nodules. 
• Lung-sparing surgery: Advanced robotic surgical techniques remove a specific area of lung tissue instead of the entire organ.
• Radiation therapy: Using advanced methods, such as RapidArc and stereotactic radiosurgery, we deliver precise lung cancer treatments that spare more healthy tissue. 
• Genetic testing: We check tumors for genetic changes (mutations) associated with lung cancer. If you test positive, you may benefit from specific types of medical oncology. 
• Minimally invasive procedures: Microwave ablation and pulsed electrical field technologies destroy early-stage cancers and are for people who cannot have surgery. Cryoablation reduces the size of advanced cancers to relieve symptoms.