The Laboratory of Lana Schumacher-Beal, MD

About the Lab

The research in the Laboratory of Lana Schumacher-Beal, MD, in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital focuses on:

1. Improvement of lung cancer outcomes as a result of robotic surgery
2. Optimization of the education and training of thoracic surgeons using artificial intelligence in robotic thoracic surgery
3. Utilization of near-infrared technology to detect and evaluate sentinel lymph nodes in lung and esophageal cancers
4. Prehabilitation for lung cancer surgery and other thoracic surgeries

Dr. Schumacher is beginning to conduct research on optimal treatment options for multifocal adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Notable Contributions and Publications

Publications from the Schumacher Laboratory:

• Phillips WW, Weiss KD, Digesu CS, et al. Finding the "True" N0 Cohort: Technical Aspects of Near-infrared Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Ann Surg. 2020 Jul 9. 2020;10.1097/SLA.0000000000004176. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000004176
• Weksler B, Sullivan JL, Schumacher LY. Randomized Trial of Bupivacaine with Epinephrine Versus Bupivacaine Liposome Suspension in Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Lung Resection. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2020 Apr 11. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2020.01.112
• Wegner RE, Abel S, Hasan S, Schumacher LY, Colonias A. Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for Oligometastatic Lung Nodules: A Single Institution Series. Front Oncol. 9:334. doi:
• 3389/fonc.2019.00334
• Abel S, Hasan S, White R, Schumacher L, Finley G, Colonias A, Wegner RE. Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) in Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Comparing Survival Outcomes in Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Lung Cancer. 02; 128:127-133. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2018.12.022

Mentorship and Training

Dr. Schumacher provides academic mentoring and research training for surgical residents, post-doctoral fellows and undergraduate students. Dr. Schumacher’s current mentees include:

• Christina Costantino, MD
• Asishana Osho, MD, MPH
• Larisa Shagabayeva, MD
• Lillian Tsai, MD

About Lana Schumacher-Beal, MD

Lana Schumacher-Beal, MD, received her medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. She completed her surgical internship and residency at Stanford University Hospital and her cardiothoracic fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She completed additional training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Dr. Schumacher is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. She has extensive experience in minimally invasive approaches to esophageal and lung diseases. Her expertise lies in advancing robotic thoracic techniques for the treatment of lung cancer, esophageal cancer, benign esophageal disorders and mediastinal diseases. Dr. Schumacher runs a scholarship for the Women in Thoracic Surgery for robotic surgery training. She also serves on faculty for the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Graham Foundation Robotic Fellowship.

Recent honors and distinctions include participation in the 2018 AATS Leadership Academy and 2015 Pittsburgh Hero Award for Innovation in Medicine.