Lung Cancer Therapies
Lung cancer is a benign tumor in the lungs. It is the leading cause of cancer related deaths among men and women.
Patients affected with this type of cancer usually exhibit the following symptoms:
A cough that does not go away Changes in cough Coughing out of blood or hemoptysis Shortness of breath Chest pain Wheezing Hoarseness Sudden weight loss Pain in the bones Severe headache
An x-ray is usually done to screen for possible lung cancer. However, diagnostic procedures like sputum cytology and tissue sample biopsy can also be done to confirm results.
The choices of therapy will be dependent to you and to your doctor. The stage of your cancer will be likewise considered. Typical options can include one or more treatment.
Lung cancer therapy depending on the stage of cancer will be as follows:
STAGE1 – Surgery and chemotherapy STAGE2 – Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation STAGE3A – Combined chemotherapy and radiation, surgery depending on results STAGE3B – Chemotherapy and at times radiation STAGE4 – Chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, clinical trials, rehabilitation
SURGERY – This involves the surgical removal of a portion of your lungs infected with cancer. It includes Wedge resection where a small section of your lungs with the tumor is removed. Segmental resection is removing a larger part of lungs but not the whole lobe. Lobectomy is removing the whole lobe of the lungs and pneumonectomy is removing the entire lungs.
CHEMOTHERAPY – This technique uses drugs to kill cancer cells. This can be a primary line therapy for lung cancer of supplementary management after surgery.
RADIATION THERAPY -This treatment uses high-powered beams to kill cancer cells.
TARGETED DRUG THERAPY – This works by targeting specific cancer cells. Drugs may include Bevacizumab (Avastatin) and Erlotnib (Tarceva).