Lung cancer care in Las Vegas

Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada provides a comprehensive lung program to diagnose and detect lung cancer in its earliest stage. Early detection is key and Southern Hills Hospital is committed to educating the Southern Nevada community on the importance of screenings.

What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in both men and women. Beginning as a growth of abnormal cells, the cancer grows to form a tumor, interfering with lung function. Lung cancer may be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination. Individuals who smoke cigarettes are at an increased risk for lung cancer.

With over 155,000 deaths per year, lung cancer is responsible for more deaths than breast, colorectal, melanoma and prostate cancer combined. Lung cancer can be curable when found in its earliest stages, but it has been difficult to detect until now.

Lung cancer screening

Lung cancer is most treatable in its earliest stage which is why screenings are so vital.

We offer non-invasive, low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for lung cancer screenings for those who may be at risk of lung cancer. This is currently the only screening option available and is designed to catch cancer in its most treatable stage.

LDCT is painless and only takes a few minutes, with less than five times the amount of radiation compared to a regular CT scan.

Who should be screened for lung cancer?

Talk to your primary care physician about a screening LDCT if you match the following criteria:

  • People between 50 and 77 years old
  • People who have at least a 20 pack-year smoking history
    • Pack years calculation: (number of packs smoked per day) x (number of years smoking)= pack-year smoking history
  • People who are either still smoking or have quit smoking within the last 15 years and are asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms of lung cancer including a new cough, or shortness of breath are not eligible.

It’s important to know that a CT scan requires a physician’s order. Please talk with your doctor or primary care physician if you are interested and eligible for this screening.

To make an appointment with a physician’s order please call (855) 476-1267. For physician offices, please fax the order to Southern Hills Hospital’s Radiology Department at (877) 330-5571.

Robotic bronchoscopy

Southern Hills Hospital is at the forefront for early stage diagnosis of lung cancer using a technology that helps gather photos of your air passages along with tissue samples for a quicker and minimally invasive procedure using a robotic system.

The robotic-assisted platform for minimally invasive biopsy in the lung enables physicians to more easily obtain tissue samples from deep within the lung, addressing a challenging aspect of a typical lung biopsy. It may also help patients avoid subsequent biopsies by enabling a diagnosis through the samples obtained.

This state-of-the-art system features an ultra-thin tube that allows navigation far into the peripheral lung and unprecedented stability enables the precision needed for biopsy compared to manual techniques. The platform, available at Southern Hills provides the physician better visibility, more access and a minimally-invasive experience for patients with most going home on the same day of the procedure.