Treatment for Lung Cancer Is Always Based of Each Patient’s Condition
Treatment for lung cancer depends on the size and location of the tumor, whether the cancer has spread, and the person’s overall health. As with most cancer treatments, Lung Cancer Treatment Options are dictated mostly by the cancer type and the stage of the disease. In lung cancer there are two main types, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). While there are several different stages and subdivisions of NSCLC differentiated by numbers and letters, SCLC has only two stages: limited and extensive disease. As oncologists are considering choices in Treatment for lung cancer, the stage and type of lung cancer factor heavily on the decision.
Types of Treatment for Lung Cancer
There are different types of treatment for lung cancer. Standard treatment options include surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Each treatment for lung cancer has its own specific ability to fight cancer and its own set of side effects and possible complications.
Treatment for Lung Cancer: Surgical Resection
For treatment for lung cancer, a thoracic surgeon is specially trained to perform lung cancer surgery. The goal of surgery is the complete removal of the lung tumor and the nearby lymph nodes in the chest. The tumor must be removed with a surrounding border of normal lung tissue (called the margin). A “negative margin” means that when the pathologist examines the lung, or piece of lung that has been removed by the surgeon, no traces of cancer were found in the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor.
Treatment for Lung Cancer: Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Systemic chemotherapy is delivered through the bloodstream, targeting cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy is given by a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with medication. Some people may receive chemotherapy in their doctor’s office; others may go to the hospital. Most chemotherapy used for lung cancer is injected into a vein (called intravenous, or IV injection).
Treatment for Lung Cancer: Radiation Therapy
In external beam radiation therapy, a large machine is used to carefully aim a beam of radiation at the tumor. This treatment for lung cancer damages the cells in the path of the beam – normal cells as well as cancer cells. In brachytherapy, or internal radiation therapy, radioactive material is placed directly into or near the tumor.
There are also New Treatments for Lung Cancer includes photodynamic therapy, electrocautery, cryosurgery, laser surgery, targeted therapy and internal radiation.
The aim of treatment for lung cancer is to keep you as well and symptom-free as possible, even if your cancer cannot be cured. You can even have Natural Treatment for Lung Cancer in which you can start it from your habits. You can avoid smoking and alcohol. You must eat healthy food in order to have better immune. While there are many options, lung cancer treatment needs to be performed judiciously and only after very careful consideration of a number of factors.
