Michael Unger, MD, FACP, FCCP

After practicing pulmonary medicine for many years in other prestigious Philadelphia institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Hospital, I joined the staff at Fox Chase Cancer Center in 1997. Fox Chase offered me a unique opportunity to continue my clinical practice, while pursuing my research interest. I am fortunate to work with such a talented, compassionate staff who came with me to Fox Chase. All of us work as a team - from the bronchoscopy suite, to the nurses, to the administrative staff. We often hear how comforting this is to our patients.

My clinical specialty is treating patients with lung cancer as well as pulmonary disease. At each appointment, I spend as much time as is needed to properly educate my patients about their treatment options. While I advise them on the best modalities or management options, we work together to determine which direction to take.

Most of my patients present with complex medical issues and many have been referred from other regional and out of state hospitals. I like to keep an open line of communication with the referring physicians. Because we offer more advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures not available at most area hospitals, we see many second opinion cases. Some of our patients are able to return to the care of their referring physician, while others choose to stay at Fox Chase due to their specific situation.

At Fox Chase, we work closely with the multispecialty team of lung cancer doctors. This is beneficial to our patients because our weekly meetings are used to review each case and discuss management and research protocols. Having multiple opinions typically results in the most optimal, tailored care for each patient.

While Fox Chase is one of the most comprehensive cancer centers in the country, we also treat patients with non-malignant pulmonary disease. They choose Fox Chase because of our ability to provide precise diagnosis, a comprehensive pulmonary laboratory, experienced physicians and the most sophisticated treatment options.

I have a special interest in research for early detection of lung cancer, lung cancer in women and metastatic diseases through the lung. My research team studies high risk populations and offers advanced forms of early detection and treatment. For example, we have a contract with the Asbestos Workers Union, a group of people who have been exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos, which often leads to lung cancer. By providing earlier diagnosis, we have a better chance of successfully managing the disease.