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“The biggest news in early lung cancer detection is low-dose CT (LDCT) screening, because it saves lives,” said Dr. Mark B. Stoopler, a medical oncologist with ColumbiaDoctors, the faculty practice of Columbia University Medical Center.
According to Dr. Stoopler, before the availability of LDCT screening, most lung cancers were diagnosed in stages III and IV when symptoms had already emerged and the cancer had progressed significantly. “Most patients with stages I and II cancer can be treated surgically, which has a cure rate as high as 80-84 percent. However, as the cancer stage advances, the cure rate declines, which is why early lung cancer screening is so important,” he said.
For over 35 years Dr. Stoopler has provided personalized thoracic oncology care for patients with lung cancer, mesothelioma, chest tumors, esophageal and gastric cancers. He sees patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley and at the National Cancer Institute-designated Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NYP/Columbia University Medical Center where he is an active clinical researcher and serves as the co-director of the Thoracic Oncology Tumor Board. Dr. Stoopler refers eligible patients to cutting-edge, front-line clinical trials at Columbia.
“The lung cancer team at NYP Hudson Valley is solely focused on lung cancer,” said Dr. Stoopler. “Our multidisciplinary team includes a medical oncologist, a thoracic surgeon and a radiation oncologist, all of whom are experts in treating lung tumors. We regularly meet with a pulmonary specialist, a pathologist and a radiologist to review our patients’ cases and formulate the best approach to their care. We also have a very active and effective lung cancer screening program.”
Dr. Stoopler is encouraged by recent developments in the treatment for advanced lung cancers. “Up until 10 years ago, the only treatment option for patients with Stage IV cancer was chemotherapy. Targeted therapies and immunotherapy, which harnesses one’s own immune system to fight the cancer, have been found to be highly effective at controlling certain types of lung cancer,” he explained.
To make an appointment with Dr. Stoopler, call 914-293-8400. For more information about our cancer program visit nyp.org/hudsonvalley.
