Lung Cancer
Treatment
Sometimes a lung tumor contains more
than one type of cancerous cell. So the treatment should be based on the type
of lung cancer, the size, location and extent of the tumor and the general health
of the patient. There are many treatments, which may be used alone or in combination.
The most widely used therapies for lung cancer are surgery, chemotherapy, and
radiation therapy. Chemotherapy and radiation are very effective at relieving
symptoms. Surgery
An operation for lung cancer
is major surgery. Depending on the type and stage of the cancer, surgery may be
used to remove the tumor and some of the lung tissue around it. Removing only
a small part of a lobe (section) of the lung is called a wedge resection.
If a entire lobe of the lung is removed, the surgery is called a lobectomy.
If the entire lung is removed, the surgery is called a pneumonectomy.
Surgery is of two types aggressive surgery and palliative
procedures.
Aggressive surgery (long-term control) :
Aggressive surgery involves removal of the pleura, the lung, the diaphragm and
the pericardium through a procedure known as extra pleural pneumonectomy. This
surgery is highly complicated and carries a high risk of fatality within a month.
Extra pleural pneumonectomy is therefore performed only on younger patients who
are in good health and can tolerate the surgery.
Palliative
Procedures (relief of symptoms) :
Palliative procedures are performed when
the cancer is in its advanced form. These procedures are performed to allay
or control the symptoms rather than cure them. Pleurectomy (also decortications)
is the surgical removal of the pleura. This reduces the pain caused by the tumor
mass and may also prevent the recurrence of pleural effusion (fluid collection
that causes breathlessness).
Video-assisted chest surgery
is a new kind of surgery done for people with early stage lung cancer. A tiny
camera can be placed through a small hole in the chest to help the surgeon see
the tumor. Only small incisions are needed and it is most often used for tumors
smaller than about 2 inches.
Side Effects : The side
effects of surgery are pain, weakness, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Most
have problems moving around, coughing, and breathing deeply. Other possible problems
include bleeding, wound infections, and pneumonia. The recovery period can be
several weeks or even months. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment using anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells
throughout the body. The drugs can be swallowed in pill form or can be injected
directly into a vein or by means of a catheter, a thin tube that is placed
into a large vein and remains there as long as it is needed. These drugs enter
the bloodstream and reach throughout the body, making this treatment useful for
cancer that has spread (metastasized) to organs beyond the lung. The amount of
chemotherapy a patient receives depends on the type of cancer, the drugs, and
the patient’s overall response to treatment. Therapy may be given daily, weekly,
or monthly, and can continue for months or even years. Side
Effects : Drugs used in chemotherapy can damage some normal cells, causing side
effects. These side effects depend on the type of drugs used, the amount given,
and the length of treatment. The possible side effects are nausea and vomiting,
hair loss, fatigue or shortness of breath caused by low red blood cell counts,
loss of appetite, diarrhea or constipation, mouth sores, bruising or bleeding
caused by a shortage of blood platelets, higher risk of infection caused by a
shortage of white blood cells. Most side effects disappear when your course of
treatment ends. Some drugs will damage the nerves and this may cause numbness
in the fingers and toes, and sometimes the arms and legs may feel weak. Radiation
Therapy
Radiation therapy alias radiotherapy is the treatment
using a beam of high-energy rays or particles to destroy cancer cells. It may
be used before surgery to shrink a tumor, or after surgery to destroy any cancer
cells that remain in the treated area. The radiation may come from outside the
body (external radiation) or from radioactive materials placed into or next to
the tumor (internal radiation). External type of radiation is most often used
to treat a primary lung cancer or its metastases to other organs. Radiation
is mainly for patients who are not healthy enough to have surgery. For others,
it might be used after surgery to kill small areas of cancer that can't be seen
and removed during surgery. It can also be used to relieve symptoms such as pain,
bleeding, trouble swallowing, or problems caused by the cancer spreading to the
brain. Brachytherapy uses a small pellet of radioactive
material placed directly into the cancer or into the airway next to the cancer.
This is usually done through a bronchoscope. A special kind
of radiation (called the gamma knife) can be used instead of surgery if the cancer
spreads to the brain in only one spot. In this method, several beams of radiation
are focused on the tumor over the span of a few minutes to hours. The head is
held in place with a stiff frame. Side Effects : The side
effects of radiation include vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, mild skin problems
and tiredness. Chest radiation may cause lung damage and trouble breathing or
swallowing. Side effects of radiation therapy to the brain usually become most
serious after 1 or 2 years. They could include memory loss, headaches, trouble
with thinking, and less sexual desire.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapies use medications or antibodies used to block
growth factors that allow some tumors to grow. These drugs taken in the form of
pills attack special parts of cancer cells and leave most normal cells alone.
Not all lung cancers respond to these drugs. Side
Effects : These drugs seems to cause few side effects than chemotherapy and it
include diarrhea, rash, eye problems, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and
feeling tired. Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
This laser therapy using a special chemical which is injected into the bloodstream,
leaves normal cells but remains in cancer cells for a longer time. A laser light
aimed at the cancer activates the chemical, which then kills the cancer cells
that have absorbed it. PDT is used to treat very small tumors in patients for
whom the usual treatments for lung cancer are not appropriate. It is also used
to control bleeding or to relieve breathing problems due to blocked airways when
the cancer cannot be removed through surgery. After Treatment Follow-up care after treatment for lung cancer
is very important. Regular checkups should be performed so that any recurrence
can be identified as early as possible. Checkups may include physical exams, chest
x-rays, or lab tests. A person who has undergone surgery should be checked every
3-4 months for the first 2 years and every 6-12 months thereafter. Lung
cancer remains a highly preventable disease because 85% of lung cancers occur
in smokers or former smokers. The best way to prevent lung cancer is to quit smoking.
Lung cancer takes many years to develop. But changes in the lung can begin almost
as soon as a person is exposed to cancer-causing substances. | 
