Our thoracic oncology service diagnoses, treats and helps to manage cancers in the chest area, including lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, with around 47,000 people diagnosed with the condition each year.

Cancer that begins in the lungs is called primary lung cancer. There are two main forms of primary lung cancer that are defined by the type of cells in which the cancer starts growing:

non-small cell lung cancer
small cell lung cancer

We also treat a less common type of lung cancer known as mesothelioma. This cancer affects the lining that covers the lungs and usually occurs in people who have been exposed to asbestos.

Once diagnosed, you will be reviewed by our specialist team and treatment will be recommended based on regional clinical guidelines and the form of cancer you have.

Our team specialises in treating chest cancers. We work closely with chest physicians, thoracic surgeons and clinical nurse specialists.

Research

Southampton leads the UK and Europe in fighting cancer using the body’s own defences. Our Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre is helping find new ways of treating cancers of the chest and lung, through new immune system based therapies and trials of new therapeutics.