Lung Cancer Treatment Options
Lung Cancer Treatment Options
At diagnosis, patients can be divided into 3 treatment groups based on the
stage of the cancer:
Non-small cell lung cancer that can be treated with surgery.
Stage 0, stage I, and stage II non-small cell lung cancer can often be
removed by surgery. Radiation therapy may be used to treat patients who have
other medical problems and cannot have surgery.
Non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or to
lymph
nodes.
Non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or to lymph nodes
can be treated with one of the following:
- -Radiation therapy alone.
- -Radiation therapy and chemotherapy or other kinds of treatment.
- -Surgery alone.
Non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body
or to another lobe of the lungs.
Radiation therapy may be used as palliative therapy to shrink the cancer and
to relieve pain in patients who have non-small cell lung cancer that has
spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy may be used to treat some
patients.
Four types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery
Three types of surgery are used:
- -Wedge resection: A surgical procedure to remove a triangle-shaped slice of tissue. It may be used to remove a tumor and a small amount of normal tissue around it.
- -Lobectomy: A surgical procedure to remove a whole lobe (section) of the lung.
- -Pneumonectomy: Surgery to remove one whole lung.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of
cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from
dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or
muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout
the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into
the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs
mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way
the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being
treated.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other
types of radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation
therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send
radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive
substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed
directly into or near the cancer.
Radiosurgery is a method of delivering radiation directly to the tumor with
little damage to healthy tissue. It does not involve surgery and may be used
to treat certain tumors in patients who cannot have surgery.
The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the
cancer being treated.
Laser therapy
Laser therapy is a cancer treatment that uses a laser beam (a narrow beam of
intense light) to kill cancer cells.
Other types of treatment and prevention are being tested in clinical trials.
These include the following:
Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer treatment that uses a drug and a
certain type of laser light to kill cancer cells. A drug that is not active
until it is exposed to light is injected into a vein. The drug collects more
in cancer cells than in normal cells. Fiberoptic tubes are then used to
deliver the laser light to the cancer cells, where the drug becomes active
and kills the cells. Photodynamic therapy causes little damage to healthy
tissue. It is used mainly to treat tumors on or just under the skin or in the
lining of internal organs, such as the lungs and the esophagus.
Chemoprevention
Chemoprevention is the use of drugs, vitamins, or other substances to reduce
the risk of developing cancer or to reduce the risk cancer will recur (come
back).
New treatments
New combinations of treatments are being studied in clinical trials.
Lung Cancer Treatment News
General Facts on Lung Cancer: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment For Lung Cancer Posted By : Michael Lee
20 May 2009 at 1:00am
Among the various type of cancer deaths, lung cancer is responsible for 29 percent of that. Hence, you can begin protecting yourself now by arming yourself with the general facts on lung cancer before it's too late.
ASA404 Enters Pivotal Phase III Trial In Second-line Lung Cancer
14 Jan 2009 at 8:00am
Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) announces that 'ATTRACT-2', a phase III trial testing ASA404 as a second-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is now underway. This is a single pivotal study designed to support applications to market ASA404 for lung cancer patients who have received one previous round of treatment.
Racial disparities persist in the treatment of lung cancer
12 Apr 2009 at 10:00pm
(American Cancer Society) Black patients suffering from lung cancer are less likely to receive recommended chemotherapy and surgery than white lung cancer patients, a disparity that shows no signs of lessening.
EMCTO Conference, Lugano, May 1-3, 2009: Joining Forces To Improve Lung Cancer Treatment
28 Apr 2009 at 7:00am
Prevention, personalized therapies and closer collaborations between surgeons, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists will result in better outcomes for lung cancer patients and those at risk, a leading European expert says. "Lung cancer is a complex disease.
Personalized treatment for early lung cancer
2 May 2009 at 10:00pm
(European Society for Medical Oncology) Cancer vaccines and targeted therapies are beginning to offer new treatment options following surgery for patients with early stages of lung cancer, experts said at the first European Multidisciplinary Conference in Thoracic Oncology in Lugano, Switzerland.
Study Shows Protein May Be Strongest Indicator Of Rare Lung Disease
4 Jun 2009 at 7:00am
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have discovered a protein in the lungs that can help in determining progression of the rare lung disease Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Researchers say the protein - Serum surfactant protein A - is superior to other IPF predictors and could lead to better decisions about treatment and timing of lung transplantation.
Radiation 'Highly Effective' In Early Lung Cancer
4 Apr 2009 at 3:00am
A high-tech type of radiation treatment called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has been demonstrated to be a "highly effective" treatment in early-stage lung cancer for patients who are not eligible for surgery, according to a study co-authored by a physician at the University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center.
START Trial Will Show Whether Therapeutic Vaccine Stimuvax Has Potential To Extend Lung Cancer Survival Beyond Five Years
1 Jun 2009 at 5:00am
Of all cancers, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents one of the greatest unmet needs for an effective and life-prolonging treatment. The condition, which accounts for 85 per cent of all lung cancers - roughly 1.4 million worldwide each year - is rarely diagnosed at its earliest and most potentially curable stage when it is amenable to surgical resection.
InterMune stumping for lung drug approval
15 Feb 2009 at 10:00pm
One out of two isn?t bad ? and it might be enough as InterMune Inc. aims at winning approval and a partner for the first U.S. treatment of a deadly lung disease.
Infectious Agent May Impact Lung Cancer
21 Feb 2009 at 2:00am
A previously unknown effect of an infectious agent relevant to the prevention and/or treatment of lung cancer has been discovered by a UMDNJ research team led by Melissa Rogers, Ph.D., professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School. The infectious agent, mycoplasma bacterium, induces the synthesis of an important growth factor, BMP2, in lung cells.
Surviving Lung Cancer
5 Mar 2009 at 5:00am
Countless people have heard the phrase, "You have lung cancer," but only 50 can say they've completed a new treatment at Temple University that doubles their chances of surviving the deadly disease - and without the conventional radiation regimen or surgery.
Defeating nicotine's double role in lung cancer
7 Jun 2009 at 10:00pm
(American Thoracic Society) A lung cancer treatment that inhibits nicotine receptors was shown to double survival time in mice, according to Italian researchers.
Potential Preventative Treatment For Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease
6 Feb 2009 at 6:00am
Early inhalation of amiloride prevents chronic lung disease in a mouse model / Heidelberg researchers publish in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine Heidelberg researchers have succeeded in preventing cystic fibrosis lung disease in an animal model by spraying amiloride into the lungs of young mice.
Gemin X Initiates Phase 2 Clinical Study Of Obatoclax In Combination With Standard Chemotherapy For First-Line Treatment Of Small Cell Lung Cancer
5 Mar 2009 at 5:00am
Gemin X Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel, targeted cancer therapeutics, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead product candidate obatoclax (GX15-070) for the treatment of patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Young Hodgkin's Patients Benefit From Breast, Lung Drug Combo
21 Mar 2009 at 4:00am
New research published in today's print edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Vol. 27, No. 9) shows a treatment combination used in breast and lung cancers to be effective against Hodgkin's disease in pre-teens and young adults.