Although lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the Sandhills, FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital has been very successful in treating nonsmall cell lung cancer.

In fact, the survival of patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer treated in Moore Regional's Community Hospital Compre-hensive Cancer Center is higher than the state and national averages for cases diagnosed in community cancer cancers.

A summary of this information can be found in FirstHealth's 2006 Cancer Report, which is now posted on the FirstHealth of the Carolinas Web site at www.firsthealth.org.

"Despite national efforts, the overall survival for nonsmall cell lung carcinoma is less than 20 percent," says Dr. Andy C. Kiser.

Kiser is medical director of the Chest Center of the Carolinas, a multidisciplinary program for the treatment of diseases of the chest.

He is also a cardiac and thoracic surgeon associated with Pinehurst Surgical and the author of the 2006 Cancer Report's Major Site Report.

"At FirstHealth, we have made further strides to improve survival by developing a multidisciplinary thoracic oncology program," Kiser says. "The Chest Center of the Carolinas integrates the expertise of Thoracic Surgical Oncology, Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology in the treatment of patients with lung cancer.

"Patients with lung cancer are evaluated by three specialists as well as by pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists and nursing support staff to develop a treatment plan that is individualized to the patient's unique situation. The staff of the Chest Center of the Carolinas is able to guide the patient through the diagnostic and treatment pathways while also supporting family and friends through this difficult time."

According to data prepared by the hospital's Cancer Registry and based on statistics from 1998 (the latest comparative information available for community cancer centers), Moore Regional had a one-year survival rate of 46.9 percent in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer as compared to 36.5 percent in North Carolina and 43.7 percent in the nation.

Moore Regional's five-year survival rates for the period (15.3 percent) also exceeded state and national rates (10.4 and 12.7, respectively.)

According to Kiser, lung cancer is an especially deadly disease because most people are diagnosed in its latter stages.

"Often, more than one therapy is used to treat patients with lung cancer," he says. "The combination of surgery and/or radiation and/or chemotherapy can benefit many patients not previously believed to be treatable. Several investigative trials are currently examining the benefits of combined therapies.

"Although it is too early to draw definitive conclusions from this research, there is an indication that adding chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to some patients followed by surgical treatment may, in fact, improve long-term survival. The treatment of lung cancer at FirstHealth is individualized to the patient and designed to be stage specific."

In addition to Kiser's report, the 2006 Cancer Report provides an update on FirstHealth's cancer treatment program and also includes information on various cancer-related services and programs offered by FirstHealth. These include tobacco-cessation and education programs, FirstHealth Hospice & Palliative Care, the Cancer CARE Fund, nutrition counseling and Mobile Health screening services.