Lung Nodule Surveillance & Cancer Detection Program

The Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Division at Stanford Hospital has clinical programs with expertise in the risk assessment, evaluation and diagnosis of lung nodules as well as the diagnosis and management of patients with lung cancer. The program is headed by Dr. Arthur Sung MD, FCCP, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine and Director of Interventional Pulmonology. Dr. Sung is a national leader in interventional bronchoscopic techniques that give our patients the widest choice of outpatient procedures to evaluate a concerning finding. Dr. Sung works closely with the greater Stanford physician community that includes a world-class Thoracic Radiology Program led by Dr. Ann Leung.

The Lung Stanford Nodule Assessment Program (Lung-SNAP) is the primary portal of entry for patients who would like to discuss their diagnosis of a lung nodule detected on imaging or the possibility of having lung cancer and the options for obtaining a diagnosis using state-of-art imaging and non-invasive bronchoscopic procedures in an efficient and rapid manner. Lung-SNAP program evaluates patients from all parts of the Northern California region and beyond and has a fully dedicated administrative staff that interact with our physicians on a daily basis. Central to the program is a dedicated Nurse Practitioner Coordinator that will guide patients through the process.

Our patients can expect an appointment within one to two weeks of a referral or after calling the clinic, at which point our physicians will evaluate the case to determine whether any diagnostic or additional testing will be required prior to the visit. This may include repeat CT imaging in our Stanford Radiology Department, Pulmonary Function Testing in the Pulmonary Division, or routine lab testing, all in the main hospital near the clinic visit (see map below). During the day of appointment a patient can expect to spend a few minutes being checked in with our staff, an additional few minutes filling out a questionnaire and then 15 to 30 minutes with our physicians for a full evaluation prior to checking out. We also provide dedicated smoking cessation counseling to patients in need that will take an additional 5 to 10 minutes following our physician evaluation. For those patients willing to participate in research studies, an additional 15 to 30 minutes for consent with our research staff will be required.

Many patients will be observed over time with repeat imaging, but some may require additional investigations including minimally-invasive biopsies. For these patients, Dr. Sung provides timely intervention and follow-up to determine the next steps during these important phases of the evaluation. For our patients with malignant diagnoses, Lung SNAP is part of the larger Stanford Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute designated center. Our Thoracic Oncology Group is part of the National Cancer Center Network of leading institutions in thoracic malignancies and has world-class training and expertise in the management of lung cancer–to which our patients will be referred as necessary.

You or your health care provider can reach the Lung SNAP clinic to schedule an appointment at 650-725-7061. Once scheduled, our staff will request that you send all available relevant medical records and imaging on CD to the clinic so our physicians can review the data ahead of time to expedite the process. Please be prepared to assist us so we can deliver the best care possible.

Contact Information

Clinic Main Line: 650-725-7061

Pulmonary Clinic Address

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1st Floor Boswell Building

300 Pasteur Dr.

Stanford, CA 94305