Treatment Options For Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 80 to 85 percent of all cases of lung cancer. As expected, lung cancer starts in the lung tissues. Warning signs of lung cancer include chest pain, chronic coughing, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood.

Cigarette smoking and secondhand exposure to cigarette smoke are the most common causes of lung cancer. However, there are also other risk factors and causes, since individuals without exposure and who do not smoke can still get lung cancer. Thus, research still needs to be done. It is worth noting, however, that the chemicals in smoke are what result in lung cancer, since they trigger cell damage that can cause DNA mutations.

Although non-small lung cancers are typically slow-growing, prompt treatment is vital for patients to achieve a lung cancer cure. The stage of cancer is the major factor in determining what type of lung cancer treatment a patient receives. Common strategies for treatment include radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy for lung cancer.

Surgery

Surgery is a common treatment option employed for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, particularly in the early stages of the condition. The precise procedure used does, however, depend on the location of the tumor in the lungs as well as its size. When lung cancer is localized, surgeons will use a wedge resection. This involves the removal of the affected tissues as well as a small amount of surrounding healthy lung tissue. Cases that affect a larger section of the lungs require a segmental resection, which removes the malignant tumor and a larger portion of lung tissue.

If a patient’s cancer is extensive, they may need a lobectomy, where an entire lobe is removed. The most serious surgery used for non-small cell lung cancer is an entire lung removal in a procedure called a pneumonectomy. This is used when little lung tissue can be spared.

Discover an alternative treatment to surgery for lung cancer next.