Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer Treatment | Lung Cancer Information
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Non-small Cell Lung Cancer affects 90% of lung cancer patients. Non-small cell
lung cancer is a combination of three distinct histologies including large cell carcinoma,
adenocarcinoma, and squamous or epidermoid carcinoma. These all have a potential of getting cured
by surgical resection.
Because some small cell lung cancers can be confused on microscopic examination with non-small
cell lung cancer, a differential diagnosis by a reputed pathologist should be considered before
opting for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Chemotherapy and
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Non-small Cell Lung Cancer affects 90% of lung cancer patients. Non-small cell lung cancer is a
combination of three distinct histologies including large cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and squamous or
epidermoid carcinoma. These all have a potential of getting cured by surgical resection.
Because some small cell lung cancers can be confused on microscopic examination with non-small cell lung cancer,
a differential diagnosis by a reputed pathologist should be considered before opting for treatment of non-small
cell lung cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy is having partial responses and relieving of symptoms for
short durations only in non-small cell lung cancer patients. Patients with non-small cell lung cancer can be
classified into three groups, Group-I, Group-II, and Group-III.
Group-I are patients with tumors that are surgically removable (Stage-I and II). This group of non-small cell
lung cancer patients has a very good prognosis. The lung cancer is limited to the air passage lining and has not
invaded the lung tissue at all. This can be completely curable by surgery alone. Wedge resection or segmentectomy
can be performed with surgery. If the tumor is confined to one lobe, then surgical resection of that particular
lobe is advocated for complete removal of the cancer cell. Group I patients have a low chance of cancer recurrence
and this slightly improves the chance of survival.
Group-II (Stage-III A & Stage-III B) - patients with advanced stage of cancer either regionally (N2-N3) or
locally (T3-T4). Radiation therapy alone can be used for Group II patients, but sometimes physicians prefer to
combine chemotherapy with radiation therapy. Surgery is found to be effective in selected patients with N2 or T3.
An individual's treatment in this group mainly depends on the location of the cancer in their lung as well as the
lymph nodes it has spread to. During surgery, your surgeon may opt for the removal of the lymph nodes affected for
complete eradication of lung cancer cells when the lymph nodes in the mediastinum shows positive for cancer
cells.
Stage III B non-small cell lung cancer patients may show wide spread of lung cancer cells, but fortunately this
can easily be removed by surgery. Better results follow combining good health, radiation therapy, and
chemotherapy.
Group-III (Stage-IV) - The development of distant metastases (M1) in individuals. Chemotherapy and radiation
therapy is advocated for this group of patients. The patients with confined distant metastases at a single location
are found to have a better life expectancy than others of this group. Cisplatin, a chemotherapeutic agent, has been
linked with a small survival advantage and short-term palliation of symptoms.
Successful treatment is found for Group-I patients and patients in the pathologic stage I (M0, N0, T1). Patients
in Groups II and III can opt for clinical trials for finding out a good solution for the future generation, and
also are potential candidates for studies evaluating new forms of treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer Information | Cancer of Lung
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