Different options of Lung cancer treatment

Lung cancer treatment depends upon the kind of cancer. The cell type noticed in a tumor determines the kind of lung cancer. In general there are two types of lung cancer, which are small cell and non-small cell. Lung cancer treatment protocol for these types of cell cancer differs entirely. There are numerous types of lung cancer. The commonly available lung cancer types are Epidermoid carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma, and oat cell carcinoma. These are the lung cancers of about 90% noticed among the lung cancer sufferers.

Lung cancer treatment options can be obtained only after diagnosing the type of lung cancer. 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 select the lung cancer treatment protocols. Diagnosis of lung cancer can be obtained by means of X-ray, CT scans (computer assisted tomography) and MRIs (Magnetic resonance imaging).

Once you have been confirmed with lung cancer, your doctor will provide you all the details of lung cancer treatment. These details cover the stage or extent and location of cancer in your lung. In early stages of lung cancer, the cancerous mass would be only confined to one area of the lung. In advanced stages, the cancer may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphnodes.

You may discuss with your doctor to select the lung cancer treatment plan. The lung cancer treatment 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 is a type of lung cancer treatment given to the affected person with different drug combinations given through intravenously or orally. These medicines enter into the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, and able to destroy the cancerous cells metastasized to other parts of the body. Lung cancer treatment requires anticancer drugs for the elimination of cancer cells. C

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. Hence care should be taken by your doctor to minimize the possible side effects. The occurrence of side effects depends upon the length of treatment and the amount of drugs you have taken. Nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, loss of hair or loss of appetite are the common side effects of chemotherapy.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy can also be used as lung cancer treatment. High-energy radiation is used to destroy the cancer cells. External beam radiation and Brachytherapy are the two major radiation therapy used as lung cancer treatment. External beam radiation therapy is highly used in the lung cancer sufferers when the health of the patient is too poor to withstand surgery. Brachytherapy is the radiation therapy used in the lung cancer treatment by relieving the blockage of large airways occurred due to cancer.

Surgery

Surgery may be preferred as a last resort for the lung cancer treatment. You ought to spend at least one to two weeks in the hospital for surgical therapy of lung cancer. Under general anesthesia, a surgical incision has been performed in the chest and the affected tissue is removed to destroy the lung cancer. In this type of lung cancer treatment, the probable complications include wound infections, pneumonia and excessive bleeding. Your activity should be limited at least for 2-3 months since the surgeon accessed the lung through the incision in the ribs.

Of late, an invasive procedure called video-assisted thoracic surgery has been developed as a lung cancer treatment. A tumor smaller than 4 to 5 cm can be treated by this method.