Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide and the Thoracic Oncology Program is poised to conquer it. UCSF provides state-of-the-art care to patients with lung cancer, mesothelioma, esophageal cancer, sarcoma and cancer that has metastasized to the chest. The program is led by David M. Jablons, M.D., Chief of the Section of General Thoracic Surgery and Program Leader of the Thoracic Oncology Program. Patients receive treatment from a dedicated multidisciplinary team of specialists. At UCSF, one of the world's leading biomedical research centers, patients also have access to clinical trials for promising new drugs.

We are proud to be a regional, national, and international referral center for lung cancer. Our surgeons are known for their willingness to be aggressive in the appropriate case. We are also a high volume center for thoracic surgery, the largest on the West Coast. Our post-operative mortality rates are among the lowest anywhere.

We have extensive experience in performing minimally invasive thoracic surgery. That means shorter hospital stays, less post-operative pain, and a more rapid return to normal activities. For patients who need chemotherapy after surgery, it means they can begin their treatment faster and are better able to tolerate higher doses.

Our medical oncology group is led by Matthew A. Gubens, M.D., M.S., two the region's foremost and highly regarded thoracic oncologists. Other specialists treating patients, from radiation oncology, pulmonology, pathology, and imaging, are similarly dedicated and highly skilled. All have special expertise in treating patients with lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies.