What is the treatment for lung cancer?

For the treatment of lung cancer can involve surgical removal of cancer, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, as well as combinations of these treatments. The decision about which treatments will be appropriate for a given individual must take into account the location and extent of the tumor and the general health of the patient.Cancer Prevention

As with other cancers, therapy may be prescribed that is intended to be curative (removal or eradication of a cancer) or palliative (measures that are unable to cure a cancer but can reduce pain and suffering). More than one type of treatment can be prescribed. In such cases, the treatment that is added to enhance the effects of primary treatment refers to a therapeutic adjuvant. An example of adjuvant therapy is chemotherapy or radiotherapy administered after surgical removal of a tumor in order to kill any remaining tumor cells after surgery.Cancer Prevention

Surgery: Surgical removal of the tumor is generally performed for limited-stage (stage I or sometimes stage II) NSCLC and is the treatment of choice for cancer that has not spread beyond the lung. Approximately 10% to 35% of lung cancers can be removed surgically, but removal does not always result in a cure, since the tumors may already have spread and can recur at a later time. Among those who have lung cancer isolated, slow-growing retirement, 25% and 40% are still alive five years after diagnosis. It is important to note that if a tumor can be anatomically suitable for resection, surgery may not be possible if the person has other serious conditions (such as severe heart or lung disease) that would limit their ability to survive operation. The surgery is performed less often with NSCLC SCLC because these tumors are less likely to be located in an area that can be removed.Cancer Prevention

The surgical procedure chosen depends upon the size and location of the tumor. Surgeons must open the chest wall and may perform a wedge resection of the lung (removal of a portion of one lobe), a lobotomy (removal of one lobe) or pneumonic (removal of the lung). Sometimes lymph nodes in the region of the lungs are also removed (lampshade). Surgery for lung cancer is a major surgical procedure that requires general anesthesia, hospitalization and follow-up care for weeks or months. After surgery, patients may experience difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, pain and weakness. The risks of surgery include complications due to bleeding, infection, and complications of general anesthesia.

Radiation: Radiation therapy may be used as a treatment for NCIC and CL. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill dividing cells with cancer. Radiation therapy can be administered in curative, palliative therapy (using lower doses of radiation than curative therapy), or as adjuvant therapy in combination with surgery or chemotherapy. The radiation is supplied externally or by using a machine that carries radiotherapy, or inside through the introduction of radioactive material in sealed within the area of withe body where tumor vessels is located. Radiotherapy is a term used to describe the use of a small bar of radioactive material placed directly into the cancer or the air near the cancer. This is usually done through a bronchoscope.

Radiation therapy can be given if a person refuses surgery, if the tumor has spread to areas such as the lymph nodes or trachea making surgical removal impossible, or if the person has other conditions that make too ill to undergo major surgery. Radiation therapy generally only shrinks a tumor or limits its growth when given as a single therapy, however, in 10% to 15% of the people leading to a remission of cancer and palliative care in the long term. Combining radiotherapy with chemotherapy may further prolong survival when chemotherapy is administered. External radiation therapy can generally be done on an outpatient basis, while internal radiation therapy requires a brief hospitalization. A person who has severe lung disease in addition to a lung cancer may not be able to receive radiotherapy to the lung and that radiation can further reduce lung function. A type of external radiation therapy called the "gamma knife" is sometimes used to treat single brain metastases. In this procedure, multiple beams of radiation from different directions are focused on the tumor over a few minutes to hours while the head is held in place by a rigid frame. This reduces the dose of radiation that is received by the non-cancerous tissue.

For external beam radiotherapy, a process called simulation is necessary prior to treatment. With CT, computers, and precise measurements, simulation maps the exact location where the radiation will be delivered, called the treatment field or port. This process usually takes 30 minutes to two hours. The same external radiation therapy is usually four or five days a week for several weeks.

Radiation therapy does not carry the risks of major surgery, but it can have unpleasant side effects including fatigue and lack of energy. A reduced number of white blood cells (which makes a person more susceptible to infection) and low levels of platelets in the blood (blood clotting more difficult and causing excessive bleeding) may occur with radiation therapy. If the digestive organs are in the field exposed to radiation, patients may experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Radiation therapy can irritate the skin in the area being treated, but this irritation generally improves with time after treatment.

Chemotherapy: Both NCIC and CL may be treated with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy refers to the administration of drugs that inhibit the growth of cancer cells by killing them or preventing their multiplication. Chemotherapy may be given alone, as an adjunct to surgical therapy, or in combination with radiotherapy. Although he developed a number of chemotherapeutic agents, the class of drugs called platinum-based have been most effective in the treatment of lung cancer.

Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for most CL, since these tumors are generally extended in the body at the time of diagnosis. Only half of people who have CL survive for four months without chemotherapy. With chemotherapy, their survival time is increased to four to five times. Chemotherapy alone is not particularly effective in treating NCIC, but when NCIC have metastasized, it can prolong survival in many cases.

Chemotherapy may be administered in tablet form, as an intravenous infusion, or a combination of both. Chemotherapy are usually given in an outpatient setting. drug combination is administered in a series of treatments called cycle over a period of several weeks to several months, with pauses between the cycles. Unfortunately, the drugs used in chemotherapy also kill normally dividing cells in the body, resulting in unpleasant side effects. Damage to blood cells can result in increased susceptibility to infections and difficulties with blood clotting (bleeding or bruising easily) sensitivity. Other side effects include fatigue, weight loss, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and mouth sores. The side effects of chemotherapy vary according to the dose and combination of drugs used and may also vary from one individual to another. The drugs have been developed that can treat or prevent many of the side effects of chemotherapy. The side effects generally disappear during the recovery phase of the treatment or after its completion.

Brain prophylactic radiation: CL often spreads to the brain. Sometimes people with CL that is responding well to treatment are treated with radiation therapy to the head to treat very early spread to the brain (called micro metastasis) that is not yet detectable with CT or MRI scans and has not yet produced symptoms . The brain radiation therapy can cause problems in the short-term memory, side effects fatigue, nausea and more.

Treatment of recurrence: Lung cancer that has returned following treatment with surgery, chemotherapy and / or radiation therapy is called recurrent or relapsed. If the cancer is confined to one site in the lungs can be treated by surgery. Recurrent tumors generally do not respond to the chemotherapeutic drugs that were previously administered.Cancer Prevention Since platinum-based drugs are generally used in initial chemotherapy of lung cancers, these agents are not useful in most cases of recurrence. A type of chemotherapy called second-line chemotherapy is used to treat recurrent cancers that have previously been treated with chemotherapy, and a number of chemotherapy regimens second line has been proven to prolong survival. People with recurrent lung cancer who are well enough to tolerate therapy are also good candidates for experimental therapies (see below), including clinical trials.

Targeted therapy: drug serotonin (Area) and edition (Ires) are called specific drugs that can be used in selected patients with NCIC who do not respond to chemotherapy. Targeted therapy drugs are more specific to cancer cells, resulting in less damage to normal cells general chemotherapeutic agents. Serotonin and edition targets a protein called factor receptor (EFRON) which is important in promoting cell division. Cancer Prevention This protein is found at abnormally high levels on the surface of some types of cancer cells levels, including most cases of small cell lung cancer.Cancer Prevention

Other attempts include treatment drugs called anti-antigenic, which block the development of new blood vessels within a cancer. Without adequate blood vessels to supply the blood that carries oxygen, cancer cells die.Cancer Prevention  The Santiago drug brachium has also been found (Avast) to prolong survival in advanced lung cancer when added to standard chemotherapy. Brachium is given intravenously every two to three weeks. However, since this drug may cause bleeding, it is not suitable for use in patients who are coughing up blood, if the lung cancer has spread to the brain, or in people who are receiving anticoagulant therapy ("thinner" drugs blood). Brachium also not used in cases of squeamish cell cancer, because it leads to bleeding from this type of lung cancer.

Certifiable is an antibody that binds to the epidermal growth factor (EFRON) .. NCIC patients whose tumors express EFRON demonstrated by monotheistic analysis, the addition of certifiable may be considered for some patients.

Photo dynamic therapy (PDT): A new therapy used for different types and stages of lung cancer (as well as some other cancers) is photo dynamic therapy. In photo dynamic therapy agent photosynthesis (as a porphyries, a substance that occurs naturally in the body) is injected into the bloodstream a few hours prior to surgery. Meanwhile, the agent is included in the rapidly growing cells such as cancer cells.Cancer Prevention   Following a procedure in which the physician applies a certain wavelength of light through a handheld wand directly to the site of the tumor and surrounding tissue length. The light energy activates the photosensitize, which causes the production of a toxin that kills the tumor cells. PDT has the advantages that it can precisely target the location of the cancer, is less invasive than surgery, and can be repeated at the same site if necessary. The drawbacks of PDT is that it is only useful in treating cancers that can be achieved with a light source and is not suitable for processing large cancers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the photosensitizing agent called porphyries sodium (Hoofing) for use in PDT to treat or alleviate the symptoms of esophageal cancer and non-small cell lung. Further research is underway to determine the effectiveness of PDT in other types of lung cancer.

Radio frequency ablation (RA): Radio frequency ablation is being studied as an alternative to surgery, particularly in cases of lung cancer at an early stage. In this treatment, a needle is inserted through the skin, in cancer, usually in the scanner. The RAF (electrical) energy is then transmitted to the tip of the needle when the heat is produced in the tissues, killing the cancerous tissue and closing small blood vessels that feed cancer. Cancer Prevention RA usually is not painful and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of certain cancers, including lung cancer. Studies have shown that this treatment can prolong survival of surgery when used to treat early stages of lung cancer, but without the risk of major surgery and the prolonged recovery time associated with the procedures Surgical more.

Experimental therapies: Since no therapy is currently available that is absolutely effective in treating lung cancer, patients may offer a number of new therapies that are still in the experimental phase, so that the doctors did not yet have enough information to decide whether these therapies should become accepted forms of treatment for lung cancer. Cancer Prevention New drugs or new combinations of drugs are tested in clinical trials themselves, which are studies that evaluate the effectiveness of new medications in comparison with treatments already in widespread use.Cancer Prevention  Experimental treatments known as misanthropes are being studied that involve the use of vaccine-related therapies or other therapies that seek to use the immune system to fight off cancer cells.Cancer Prevention