Women are disproportionately overrepresented in many diseases of the lung. This is why we created Columbia Women’s Lung Center. Our multidisciplinary team is dedicated to providing comprehensive treatment, support, and research for the specific ways lung disease affects women. Here’s how you can benefit from our center:
- We partner with each of our patients to create personalized treatment plans that address your unique needs. Whether you suffer from lung cancer, emphysema, or a chronic lung condition like asthma, we have the knowledge and experience to take care of you.
- In addition to our core treatment services, you can take advantage of a variety of support resources designed to help you regain your health. These include nutritional counseling, cancer survivorship programs, and guidance for navigating the medical system.
- Through our commitment to using research and data to improve the quality of our care, our patients benefit from the development of research protocols that better characterize lung cancer, improved methods for identifying potential risk factors for lung disease, and more.
Call (212) 305-3408 for existing patients, (212) 304-7536 for new patients, or request an appointment online. Most insurances accepted. Patients can confirm participation status upon contacting the office.
We’re located at:
Herbert Irving Pavilion
161 Fort Washington Avenue
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10032
Get maps & directions
Conditions and Treatments
If you’re a woman who’s recently been diagnosed with lung disease, we understand the need to get answers. Women are disproportionately affected by lung disease — for example, two out of every three non-smokers who get lung cancer are women. Understanding why is a major goal of our center, and we also want to help you stay informed if you or a loved one gets sick.
Here are some of the conditions and treatments our center covers:
Asthma
Asthma is a condition that causes the airways to swell and produce excess mucus. This makes breathing more difficult and, in severe cases, can be life-threatening. Learn about the causes of asthma and how this condition can be managed and treated.
Autoimmune Interstitial Lung Disease
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) refers to a broad category of conditions that cause inflammation or scarring in the lungs. While there are numerous causes, women are more susceptible if they have other autoimmune conditions. Learn more about this particular type of ILD.
Bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasis is a condition that results from chronic bacterial infections in the lungs. It causes the walls of the lungs to thicken and can make breathing difficult.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD is a condition characterized by inflamed and/or damaged lungs. It is most often caused by smoking. The number of women with COPD has increased in recent decades, which may mean women are more susceptible to the effects of cigarettes.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer deaths in women. It kills more women than breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer combined. It is most often caused by smoking or prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke.
Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Infections
Nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections describe a group of diseases caused by a type of bacteria called mycobacteria. Infections are typically limited to people who already have a lung condition, such as COPD.
Treatments
Lung Surgery
Surgery can be used to repair diseased lung tissue, removing a portion of damaged lung, or to replace lungs entirely. It is often the most effective method of treating lung disease.
Nonsurgical Lung Treatments
There are a variety of nonsurgical treatment options for lung disease. Which option is best will depend on your specific condition, its severity, and your health and preferences.
Our Team
Each patient we meet with at Columbia Women’s Lung Center benefits from full access to a multidisciplinary team of physicians and surgeons. We not only offer our experience and skill, but also the care and compassion you need to regain your health. If you have a question or want to make an appointment, existing patients can call (212) 305-3408 and new patients can call (212) 304-7536, or request an appointment online.
B. Payne Stanifer, MD, MPH
Director, Columbia Women’s Lung Center
Angela DiMango, MD
Catherine Shu, MD
Research
Research is vital to our efforts to better understand women’s lung and health conditions and offer more effective treatments. Our data has found a high percentage of lung cancer in never smoking women and especially in never smoking hispanic and latina females – consistent with outside studies on gender trends in the U.S. Most of our data has yet to indicate a clear cause for lung cancer in this patient population, which is why we continue to advocate for more research in this area.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center is currently running several clinical trials studying lung disease and care in general, which may provide opportunities to expand our understanding of lung cancer and how it impacts women.
Visit RecruitMe below, and click on Lung Disease to view open clinical trials.
View RecruitMe
Resources and More
Make An Appointment
Call (212) 305-3408 for existing patients, (212) 304-7536 for new patients, or request an appointment online.
Planning and Preparing
Location
Herbert Irving Pavilion
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
161 Fort Washington Avenue
New York, NY 10032-3784
Get maps & directions
FAQs
Stories & Perspectives
- Lung Cancer Symptoms Even Non-Smokers Should Know – Good Housekeeping
- 9 Signs of Lung Cancer Women Need to Pay Attention To – Woman’s Day
- Lung cancer rates in younger white and Hispanic women surpass those of men – The Washington Post
- What Can Women Do Now to Lower Risk of Lung Cancer Death? – U.S. News & World Report
- What's Age Got to Do With Lung Cancer? – Yahoo News