Lung cancer treatments
Treatment for lung cancer depends on the type of cancer, its location, and its stage.
Staging is a process that tells the doctor if the cancer has spread and the extent of its
spread. The patient's age, medical history, and general state of health are also taken
into account. The most commonly used modes of treatment are surgery, radiation therapy,
and chemotherapy.
Lung cancer treatments - Surgery
Surgery is not usually an option for small cell lung cancers, because they have usually
spread beyond the lung by the time they are diagnosed. Because non-small cell lung cancers
are less aggressive, however, surgery can be used to treat them. The surgeon will decide
on the type of surgery, depending on how much of the lung is affected. Surgery may be the
primary method of treatment, or radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy may be used to
shrink the tumor before surgery is attempted.
There are three different types of surgical operations:
- Wedge resection. This procedure involves removing a small part of the lung. A wedge
resection is done when the cancer is in a very small area and has not spread to any other
chest tissues or other parts of the body.
- Lobectomy. A lobectomy is the removal of one lobe of the lung. The right lung has three
lobes and the left lung has two lobes. If the cancer is limited to one part of the lung,
the surgeon will perform a lobectomy.
- Pneumonectomy. A pneumonectomy is the removal of an entire lung. If the cancer cells
have spread throughout the lung, and if the surgeon feels that removal of the entire lung
is the best option for curing the cancer, a pneumonectomy will be performed.
The pain that follows surgery can be relieved by medications. A more serious side
effect of surgery is the patient's increased vulnerability to bacterial and viral
infections. The tendency of surgical stress to weaken the patient's immune system is
treatable with antibiotics, anti-viral medicines, and vaccines.
Lung cancer treatments - Radiation Therapy
Radiotherapy involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. It is used
either by itself or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy. Radiotherapy can be used
to treat all types of cancer. The amount of radiation used depends on the size and the
location of the tumor. There are two types of radiotherapy treatments: external beam
radiation therapy; and internal (or interstitial) radiotherapy. In external radiation
therapy, the radiation is delivered from a machine positioned outside the body. Internal
radiotherapy uses a small pellet of radioactive materials placed inside the body in the
area of the cancer.
Lung cancer treatments - Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer medications that are either given intravenously or taken
by mouth. These drugs enter the bloodstream and travel to all parts of the body, killing
cancer cells that have spread to different organs. Chemotherapy is used as the primary
treatment for cancers that have spread beyond the lung and cannot be removed by surgery.
It can also be used in addition to surgery or radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy is tailored to each patient's needs. It is dependent on the type of
cancer, the extent of its spread, and the patient's general state of health. Most patients
are given a combination of several different drugs. Besides killing the cancer cells,
these drugs also harm normal cells. Hence, the dose has to be carefully adjusted to
minimize damage to normal cells. Chemotherapy often has severe side effects, including
nausea, vomiting, hair loss, anemia, weakening of the immune system, and sometimes
infertility. Most of these side effects end when the treatment is over. Other medications
can be given to lessen the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy.
Lung cancer picture
Lung Cancer Smoking
Lunger Cancer Xray
|