Lung Cancer Resources

Lung cancer treatment depends on the type of lung cancer you have. There are two main types of lung cancer. One is small cell lung cancer and the other is non-small cell lung cancer. In these types the cancer cells behave differently so the treatment of these two is different.

Like in any other cancer treatment, lung cancer treatment also uses surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy to cure or control the disease. It depends on the patient which treatment will prove beneficial to him. Before going for surgery for the cancer the patient’s general health is taken into account. The CT scan gives a clear picture of the tumor. If the tumor is localized or if it has spread to a place so it becomes inoperable.

Before the surgery is done the patient has to under go lung function test. If the test results are good only then the decision of surgery is taken. If the patient is suffering from non small cell ling cancer then surgery is the only option if only one lung is affected. Some of the affected part of the lung can be removed by surgery. Lobectomy is done to minimize the chances of recurrence of cancer.

If the patient is suffering from small cell lung cancer then it is treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy given after the surgery is called adjuvant chemotherapy. It is given to improve the results of survival of the patient.

Radio therapy is often combined with chemotherapy. The patients who are not suitable for surgery are often given radiotherapy as lung cancer treatment. Radiotherapy may be given to control the symptoms. It has been seen that the cancer which is not spread outside the chest cavity responses about 80 to 90% to the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In about 50% to 60% patients show no detectable cancer after the treatment. But it has been seen that a relapse occurs within one or two years in the patients suffering from small cell ling cancer.

When relapse occurs then as lung cancer treatment different regime of chemotherapy is given for survival benefit and symptom relief. Chemotherapy is given through the blood veins. The drugs kill the cancer cells but they also kill healthy cells. As a result the patient may suffer side effects of the drug. Hair loss, vomiting, nausea, mouth sores, skin problems and fatigue these are some of the side effects of chemotherapy faced by the patient.

Tags: lung cancer, treatment

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 at 10:57 am and is filed under Lung Cancer Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.