Other Services Provided in Collaboration with Other Departments

The Institute of Pulmonary Medicine works closely with other departments and disciplines to complement patient management and care.

Lung Cancer
With the formation of the Lung Cancer Group, the Institute also collaborates with the St. Luke’s Cancer Institute in cancer management for the early detection and treatment of malignancy.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with over 150,000 deaths annually attributed to this disease. At present, the best hope of curing lung cancer is detecting it as early as possible. Recent studies indicate that if a person is at risk, Low-Dose CT Multi-Detector Screening can detect tiny spots in your lungs before these could be seen in a regular chest X-ray. These tiny spots or nodules may be an early stage of lung cancer.

CT Scans detect tumors that are often too small to be viewed in a chest X-ray. A chest X-ray shows the front and side views of your chest. Often, by the time the tumor is large enough to be viewed in a chest X-ray, the cancer has advanced too far for a possible cure. A CT Scan shows many cross-sectional images of your chest from the top to the bottom of your lungs and can find spots in the lung as small as a grain of rice.

As in early detection screening, early diagnosis of lung cancer means a greater chance for cure.

Who is at risk for developing Lung Cancer?

How Does the Low Dose CT Multi-Detector Screening for Lung Cancer work?
The test is a quick 20-second CT scan of your chest and lungs. No injections or medications are needed. Results are read by our trained CT radiologist and given to your attending physician for interpretation.

St. Luke's Medical Center is the ONLY participating Philippine member in the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP), a worldwide Study group led by New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University.

The Institute is assisted by the following excellent diagnostic facilities:
1. Positron Emission Tomography Center through its PET Scanner, the only one in the country
2. The Institute of Radiology through its Philips 64 slice spiral CT Imaging and the Philips 1.5 and 3.0 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging Systems
3. The Department of Nuclear Medicine through the latest in Lung Ventilation perfusion scanning

The Institute also utilizes the Picture Archive Communication System (PACS) to facilitate viewing of the results of these imaging techniques.

In coordination with the Department of Radiation Oncology, the Institute is capable of performing Bronchoscopic Endobronchial Brachytherapy for endobronchial lesions. We also utilize the Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) for patients with Lung Cancer. These technologies allow us to maximize radiation dose to the tumor while minimizing dose to normal tissues.

In conjunction with Thoraco-Cardiovascular Surgery (TCVS), we prepare and screen patients for lung reduction surgery, Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS), thoracotomy, thoracostomy, and other lung and chest surgeries.

Sleep Disorders
In cooperation with the Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center, Sleep Studies are done for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome through the Center’s polysomnography and actigraph machines.