Can Lung Cancer Go Away? Treatment Options

Lung cancer treatment is extremely customized because the best course of action is determined by the type, stage, location and nature of the cancer. An oncologist will consider the patient's age, symptoms, overall health, and preferences when deciding on a treatment plan.

Surgery

Surgery for lung cancer involves removal of some or all of the lung, followed by transplantation with a donor’s lung. Types of surgery include:

• Lobectomy:The lung is divided into lobes; the right lung has 3 lobes and the left has 2 lobes. Sleeve lobectomy is performed when tumors affect one lobe and the primary bronchus that leads to that lung. Themalignantlobe and a part of the main bronchus are removed.
• Segmentectomy:Each lung lobe is made up of 2-5 lung segments. Surgeons can remove 1-4 segments of certain lobes and preserve the uninvolved tissue.
• Wedge resection:A wedge resection is the surgical removal of a tiny wedge-shaped portion of lung tissue surrounding amalignant tumor.
• Pneumonectomy:Pneumonectomy is the surgical removal of the entire cancerous lung. This is often performed if themalignancycannot be eliminated with a lobectomy or if the lesion is in the center of the lung.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for small-cell lung cancer, but it may also be used before, after, or instead of surgery in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Chemotherapy for lung cancer is typically administered intravenously and in two ways.

• Adjuvant therapy:Administered following lung cancer surgery to treat any residual malignancy.
• Neoadjuvant therapy:Administered before surgery to shrink the tumor.

If a patient is not a candidate for surgery, chemotherapy may be done to help shrink the tumor.

Chemotherapy is administered in 3-4 weeks cycles so that the patient can recover between cycles. If the cancer has progressed, the patient may require 4-6 cycles of treatment.

Radiation therapy

Radiation肺癌手术之前或之后可以使用吗reduce the tumor or eliminate any cancer cells that remain in thelungs. External radiation is sometimes used as the primary form of lung cancer treatment. This is frequently the case for people who are not in good enough health to have surgery or whose cancer has progressed too far for surgery.

Radiation therapyfor lung cancer can be used to address symptoms produced by the malignancy, such aspain, bleeding, or tumor occlusion of the airways. Prophylactic cranial radiation may be administered to prevent brainmetastasisbecause chances of spread from the lungs to the brain are high.

Radiation techniques for lung cancer include the following:

• External beam radiation:Radiation doses are directed toward the lungs or adjacent tissues from a radiation source placed outside the body.
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy:Radiation beams are custom-made to fit the contour of the tumor. Throughout the session, the intensity of the treatment can be adjusted.
• Brachytherapy:A sealed radioactive substance is introduced into or around the tumor.
• Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR):SBRT or SABR delivers a high dose of radiation to malignancies in the lung or other organs while reducing the dose to surrounding tissues.
• Stereotactic radiosurgery:To treat lung cancer tumors that have spread to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), a very high dose of radiation is delivered in a targeted manner.

Photodynamic therapy (PTD)

Photodynamic therapy, commonly called PDT or light-activating treatment, is a type of light therapy that destroys cancer cells by combining a light sensitizing medication and an extremely bright light:

• A small tube called cannula is inserted into a vein in the back of the hand.
• Anestheticdrugsare administered through the cannula to inducesleep.
• A bronchoscope, or long flexible tube, is inserted into theairway.
• The camera of the bronchoscope allows the doctor to see the insides of the lungs and detect the area with cancer.
• The end of the tube is placed near the tumor and fires a low-power laser light at it.

PDT is typically performed as outpatient treatment in theendoscopyunit of a hospital. It takes about 30 minutes. PDT can be used in conjunction with other methods of lung cancer treatment.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy aims to reestablish the body's ability to fight cancer and eventually eliminate it entirely. It accomplishes this in one of two ways:

1. Assists the immune system to work harder
2. Allows the immune system to detect and eliminate cancer cells

有4种免疫疗法治疗s for lung cancer that are currently being used or tested:

• Checkpoint inhibitors:Checkpoints balance the immune system so that they do not destroy healthy normal cells. Tumors that produce PD-L1 proteins activate these checkpoints so that the immune cells do not destroy cancer cells. Checkpoint inhibitors reactivate the immune system, allowing it to fight cancer.
• Monoclonal antibodies:Antibodies are proteins that the body creates to fight infections or diseases. Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic antibodies that function similarly to natural antibodies, except they specifically target cancer cells.
• Vaccines:Vaccinescan be used to either prevent or treat disease. There are no FDA-approvedvaccinationsfor lung cancer therapy orprevention, but studies on these are underway.
• Adoptive cell therapy:Adoptive cell treatment involves extracting T-cells and treating them so that they effectively fight cancer. They are multiplied in a lab before being reintroduced into the body, where they attack cancer cells. Trials are still underway.

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer globally, leading to numerous deaths every year.

People who smoke are at higher risk, and studies have suggested that femalesmokersmay be more likely than male smokers to develop lung cancer. However, lung cancer can occur in people who have never smoked as well.

Types of lung cancer include:

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

NSCLC accounts for about 80% of all lung cancer cases. This type of cancer usually grows and spreads more slowly thansmall cell lung cancer. NSCLC is classified into three types:

• Adenocarcinoma:Commonly detected on the lung's outer surface and originates in the cells that form glands which secretemucus.
• Squamous cell carcinoma:Typically develops in the center of the lung near the main airway (bronchus).
• Large cellcarcinoma:A type of NSCLC that can develop in any part of the lung and grows and spreads more quickly than adenocarcinoma orsquamous cell carcinoma.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC)

SCLC分为两种类型:小细胞carcinoma and mixed small cell, also called large cell malignancy or sometimes, combination small cell lung cancer. The type of SCLC is named after the type of cells detected in the tumor and how the cells appear under a microscope.

Symptoms typically appear in the later stages of lung cancer and may include:

• Coughingthat never goes away
• Coughing up bloodalong with mucus
• Chest pain
• Breathlessness
• Headache
• Voice hoarse
• Unintentionalweight loss
• Painin the bones

Although lung cancer cannot always be prevented, the most common cause of lung cancer issmoking. It is crucial toquit smokingand to avoidsecondhand smoke.

Even if you have smoked for a long time, quitting can reduce your risk of developing cancer. If you already have lung cancer, quitting improves the effectiveness of therapy and may help you live longer.