Published on Nov. 10, 2026
Only 16.8% of high-risk Californians were screened for lung cancer, and just 25.9% of the state’s lung cancer cases were diagnosed early, ranking California 43rd among 50 states, according to the American Lung Association’s 2025 “State of Lung Cancer” report.
MemorialCare’s recently expanded Thoracic Program is working to close that gap, giving Orange County patients a connected path from early detection through diagnosis and treatment—starting when lung cancer is most treatable.
The Lung Screening Program begins with low-dose CT screening, which can detect abnormalities before symptoms appear. Early-stage lung cancer often causes no symptoms, so waiting for a cough or chest pain can cost valuable time. Guidelines recommend annual scans for adults 50 to 80 with at least a 20-pack-year smoking history who smoke or quit within the past 15 years.
“Unlike a chest X-ray, a low-dose CT creates cross-sectional images, so we can see nodules a few millimeters wide,” said Thomas Asciuto, M.D., medical director, Respiratory Care Services & Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Orange Coast Medical Center and chairperson, Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine Best Practice Team, MemorialCare. “Because most nodules are benign, we compare images year to year, watching for changes in size, shape or density to decide which need a closer look.”
When screening finds a suspicious nodule, MemorialCare can connect patients to advanced diagnostic testing, including a robotic-assisted bronchoscopy platform that helps physicians reach small or hard-to-reach nodules with greater precision. Lung nurse navigators help patients understand results and next steps.
“With robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, I can guide a thin, flexible robotic tube through the airways to spots deep in the lung that used to be hard to reach,” said Thomas Vovan, M.D., medical director, Critical Care Pulmonary, Respiratory Care, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. “Live imaging confirms I’m in the right place before the biopsy, so we’re more likely to get an answer the first time. Going through the airways means no incision, and often we can make a diagnosis in one procedure.”
If a biopsy confirms cancer, patients move from the Lung Screening Program to MemorialCare Cancer Institute, where thoracic surgery is now part of the care team.
Matthew D. Stanley, M.D., a board-certified, fellowship-trained thoracic surgeon, treats lung and esophageal cancers, airway disease, and other complex chest conditions. Dr. Stanley performs robotic lobectomy, which removes the section of lung containing a tumor, and segmentectomy, which removes a smaller portion, through small incisions. He performs robotic esophagectomy to remove cancer of the esophagus, or food pipe.
“For early-stage lung cancer, surgery offers the best chance of a cure,” Dr. Stanley said. “The robotic platform gives me a magnified, three-dimensional view and precise control in tight spaces, so I can remove the tumor while preserving as much healthy lung as possible.
For many small, early tumors, removing just a segment is as effective as removing the entire lobe. For patients, that generally means less pain, a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery.”
Pulmonology, radiology, thoracic surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology and specialty nursing collaborate on each case to build a treatment plan tailored to each patient, including molecular testing of the tumor itself.
For Orange County patients, that means specialized lung care doesn’t require traveling to an academic medical center. MemorialCare brings advanced, coordinated care to a community hospital setting, close to home.
Medically Reviewed by
Thomas J. Asciuto, M.D. medical director, Respiratory Care Services & Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Orange Coast Medical Center and chairperson, Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine Best Practice Team, MemorialCare
Thomas T. Vovan, M.D. medical director, Critical Care Pulmonary, Respiratory Care, Saddleback Medical Center
Matthew D. Stanley, M.D. board-certified thoracic surgeon, MemorialCare Cancer Institute
About the Experts
Thomas J. Asciuto, M.D., is a board-certified pulmonologist with fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine who serves on the board of directors of the Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Memorial and as associate medical director of hyperbaric medicine.
Thomas T. Vovan, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine, with expertise in conditions including asthma, COPD, pneumonia and lung cancer.
Matthew D. Stanley, M.D., is a thoracic surgeon board certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery who performs the full spectrum of robotic thoracic surgery for conditions of the lung, esophagus, airway and chest wall.
