Onco-Pulmonology: Exploring a New Frontier in Pulmonary Medicine

To detail the proposed skills and roles of an onco-pulmonologist.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in the USA, and it requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to care, which can be affected in some cases by an imbalance of patients and available providers. While pulmonologists traditionally have played an important role in screening, prevention, diagnosis, and palliation of symptoms, training in onco-pulmonology has been proposed to help bridge the gaps in lung cancer care.

The onco-pulmonologist should be well versed in advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy and pleural procedures. Additionally, the onco-pulmonologist should have an in-depth knowledge of primary cancer therapies for thoracic malignancies and should be able to recognize and treat all common treatment-related toxicities. Ultimately, the onco-pulmonologist may serve in leadership roles at cancer centers including dedicated lung cancer screening programs and lung nodule surveillance.