Lung Cancer Treatment Guide - lung cancer treatment information
Lung Cancer Treatment Guide
Lung cancer treatment depends on the kind of cancer. To determine the kind of lung cancer the cell type needs to be identified. The two types of lung cancer are small cell and non-small cell and treatment protocol for these types of cell cancers differs entirely. About 90% of lung cancer sufferers are identified with epidermoid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and oat cell carcinoma, which are the common types of lung cancers.
|
Only after diagnosing the type of lung cancer in the patient can treatment options be obtained. Once you have been detected or suspected for lung cancer, you will be subjected to different kind of tests to confirm the presence of lung cancer and also selected treatment protocols. X-ray, CT scans (computer assisted tomography), and MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are the means for diagnosing lung cancer. |
Your doctor will provide you all the details of lung cancer treatment including the stage, extent and location of the lung cancer once you have been confirmed with lung cancer. In the early stages of lung cancer, the cancerous mass would be only confined to one area of the lung. In the advanced stages, the cancer may spread to other parts of the body through the blood stream or lymph nodes. You may discuss with your doctor your lung cancer treatment plan, which can be performed by any one of the following methods:
Chemotherapy. Treatment with drug combinations to annihilate cancer cells.
Radiation therapy. Treatment by passing high-energy rays on the cancerous cells to kill cancer cells.
Surgery. Treatment by removing the part of the affected lung to eradicate the cancer.
Chemotherapy
This treatment uses different drug combinations given intravenously or orally. These medicines enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body destroying the cancerous cells metastasized to other parts of the body. Lung cancer treatment requires anticancer drugs for the elimination of cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be performed alone as a primary treatment or as combination with surgery. Although chemotherapy kills the cancerous cells, it kills normal cells also, therefore minimizing the possible side effects needs to be taken by the physician. The occurrence of side effects depends upon the length of treatment and the amount of drugs you have taken. The common side effects of chemotherapy are nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, hair loss, or loss of appetite.
Radiation therapy
The two major radiation therapies used as lung cancer treatment to destroy cancer cells are external beam radiation and brachytherapy. When the health of the patient is too poor to withstand surgery then external beam radiation therapy is used. Brachytherapy is the radiation therapy used for treatment by relieving the blockage of large airways due to cancer.
Surgery
Surgery may be preferred as a last resort for lung cancer treatment. It might be required of you to spend two to three weeks in the hospital for surgical therapy of lung cancer. Under general anesthesia, a surgical incision is performed to the chest and the affected tissue is removed to destroy the lung cancer. The probable complications include wound infections, pneumonia, and excessive bleeding with surgical treatment for lung cancer. For at least two to three months your activity should be limited due to the surgical incision in the ribs.
Of late, an invasive procedure called video-assisted thoracic surgery has been developed for a tumor smaller than 4 to 5 cm for lung cancer treatment.
Quit the job make money
traveling Super Easy Fun
Click for all pages
Asbestos Cancer
Lung Cancer
Cancer Symptoms
Cancer Treatment
Small Cell Cancer
Non-Small Cell
Early Symptoms
Cause of Cancer
Metastatic Cancer
Signs & Symptoms
Alternative Help
Chemotherapy
Adenocarcinoma
Cure for Cancer
End Stage Cancer
Information Cancer
Types of Cancer
Squamous Cell
Oat Cell Cancer
Stage IV Cancer
Cancer Research
Smoking & Cancer
Signs of Cancer
Cancer Prognosis
Spread of Cancer
Cancer Article
Contact us