Lung Unit

Lung cancer, mesothelioma and thymoma treatment

The Lung Unit is based across The Royal Marsden's hospitals in Chelsea and Sutton, and at Kingston Hospital in Surrey. It sees over 500 new patients each year.

The unit is primarily focused on the treatment, rather than diagnosis, of lung cancer. The unit works in close collaboration with chest physicians, thoracic surgeons and clinical nurse specialists in lung cancer and palliative care in nearby district general hospitals, from whom we receive most of our referrals.

What happens when a patient comes to the unit?

Patients who are referred to this unit have normally already been diagnosed with cancer at another hospital. A multidisciplinary team of respiratory physicians, surgeons, medical and clinic oncologists, radiologists and pathologists will meet to review the patient's notes in detail and plan treatment options.

At this meeting, it is decided whether further investigations are necessary, and which treatments should be used. The team will discuss the various treatment options with the patient and various tests will also be carried out. This might include blood tests, measurement of height and weight, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) to test the heart's rhythm.

When a patient comes to the unit to begin treatment they are seen by a registrar and a consultant who both specialise in a specific condition. Patients also meet a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).

The CNS provides information about lung cancer, advice on how to manage the side effects of treatment and can also refer patients for psychological support if necessary. This support is available from diagnosis, throughout treatment and during follow-up care.

How do we treat lung cancer?

We use a range of treatments depending upon the nature of the patient's cancer. They are as follows:

• Chemotherapy – a type of treatment which uses medicines used to kill cancer cells
• Radiotherapy – treatment which involves the use of radiation
• Immunotherapy – treatment using substances to stimulate an immune response
• Targeted therapy – treatment that uses drugs or other substances to specifically attack cancer cells and do less damage to normal cells
• Clinical drug trials

Find out more about treatments at The Royal Marsden. 

What to do if there are complications with treatment

If the patient is unwell experiencing symptoms or side effects from treatment, please contact the Royal Marsden Macmillan Hotline on 0208 915 6899.

For non-urgent queries please contact the Lung CNS team on 0203 186 5605. This is a voicemail service and calls will be returned within 72 hours. Alternatively, please contact us via email LungCNS@rmh.nhs.uk

If the patient is acutely unwell, please contact the emergency department.

Contact information

If you have a query regarding your appointment you can contact the consultant’s secretary directly during working hours:

Chelsea: 0207 811 8921
Sutton: 020 8661 3278

Staff at The Lung Unit

Consultant Medical Oncologists

Professor Mary O’Brien, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Head of Lung Unit
Dr Jaishree Bhosle, Consultant Medical Oncologist
Professor Sanjay Popat, Consultant Thoracic Medical Oncology
Dr Nadia Yousaf, Consultant Medical Oncologist
Dr Anna Minchom, Consultant Medical Oncologist
Dr Michael Davidson, Consultant Medical Oncologist

Consultant Clinical Oncologists

Dr Merina Ahmed, Consultant Clinical Oncologist
Dr Imogen Locke, Consultant Clinical Oncologist
Dr Fiona McDonald, Consultant Clinical Oncologist
 

Clinical Nurse Specialists

Jo Vick, Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist
Lizzie Middleton, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Karon Payne, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Lorraine Jeffreys, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Sarah Sarker, Clinical Nurse Specialist

Clinical Business Unit Manager

Heather Spurgeon