Lung Cancer Treatment

This article provides useful, detailed information aboutradiotherapy. Once cancer has spread to other parts
Lung Cancer Treatment.of the body, chemotherapy and radiotherapy replace
The most commonly used treatments for lung cancersurgery as the main treatment options. A number of
are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The exactdrugs are available, and many more are being tested
treatment a lung cancer patient receives will dependin clinical trials. Radiotherapy is palliative, and while it
on several factors. These include the type of cancer,may ease symptoms such as pain and cough, it will
the stage or extent to which it has spread at thenot stop cancer growth. If the cancer obstructs a
time of diagnosis, and the overall health of themajor airway, using a laser, freezing the tumor or
patient.keeping the airway open with a stent or tube may
Non-small cell lung cancer, which accounts for aboutremove the obstruction.
80 percent of lung cancer cases, is treated dependingSmall cell lung cancer, which is found in about 20
on its stage at diagnosis. Lung surgery is thepercent of lung cancer patients, is more aggressive
mainstay of treatment for the early stages of lungand more likely to have spread by the time of
cancer. Cancerous tissue, along with a margin ofdiagnosis. It is therefore treated primarily with
healthy tissue, is removed. Patients who are unablechemotherapy. Radiotherapy to the chest may also
to have surgery may be treated with radiotherapy.be used to kill off remaining cancer cells. This type of
While cure rates for early lung cancer are good, it iscancer often spreads to the brain. This is why
rarely detected in its early stages. As non-small cellradiotherapy to the brain may be used as a
cancer spreads within the chest, it is treated withprophylactic even if no cancer is detected in the
some combination of surgery, chemotherapy andbrain.