Lung Cancer Treatment Options

People have a lot of different options for lung cancer treatment but the best way to beat the disease is to get diagnosed early on. The type of treatment will depend on how severe the lung cancer is and what type it is. People with stage I-IV generally have surgery. Higher stages may require both surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

Surgery Treatment Options

When lung cancer is caught early, surgery is usually the best option. The type of surgery will depend on the size and definition of the tumor. A wedge resection is the least serious surgery option.

The lobectomy is more serious and is used for large tumors or ones spread throughout the lungs. This involves removing an entire lobe of a lung. In some cases, it may be necessary to remove a whole lung (pneumonectomy). The surgeon may also take out some lymph nodes from the chest. Lymph nodes carry fluid through the body and are one of the main ways cancer spreads in the body. If lymph nodes have cancer cells, they will probably be removed to avoid spreading the cancer further.

Chemotherapy Treatment Options

If lung cancer is beyond Stage II, chemotherapy is generally recommended. There are many drugs that can shrink and even destroy tumors in the body. The drugs may be given intravenously or orally.

The idea is to kill off the cancer cells but it also is done to protect the patient as much as possible. Side effects for chemotherapy include nausea and hair loss. In some cases, doctors may recommend surgery and chemotherapy to be on the safe side.

Chemotherapy may last several weeks or several months. The new versions use drugs that can target the cancerous cells and have less side effects. One of these, Bevacizumab, stops tumors from growing, and Erlotinib stops cancer cells from dividing.

Radiation Treatment Options

Radiation, which uses gamma rays or x-rays, is a treatment method that has been around a long time. One way this is done is by inserting a radioactive material near the tumor so the rays can kill the cancer cells by stopping them from dividing and destroying their DNA. Radiation can be dangerous in large doses but radiation therapy is safe when used to treat lung cancer. The key is to destroy only the tumor and not the healthy tissues and organs in the body.

Advancements in radiation therapy make treating lung cancer safer than ever but it is still a last resort treatment used only for severe cases of lung cancer and used with other treatments.