Pharmacology Treatment of Lung Cancer

Pharmacological (drug) treatments for lung cancer consist of chemotherapy and targeted drug therapies. The medications you receive will depend on a number of factors, including the type and stage of your cancer.

Role of Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy drugs might be used before or after lung cancer surgery or to treat lung cancers that have spread throughout the body. Small-cell lung cancers typically respond to chemotherapy better than non-small-cell lung cancers. In most cases, chemotherapy serves a palliative role rather than a curative one. It works to reduce symptoms and prolong life, as most lung cancers are diagnosed at later stages.

Chemotherapy Drugs

• The following drugs have shown the most benefit for treating lung cancer. You might receive one or more. They include carboplatin, cisplatin, docetaxel, erlotinib, etoposide, gemcitabine, irinotecan, paclitaxel, pemetrexed, topotecan and vinorelbine.

Role of Targeted Drugs

• Targeted drug therapies work specifically to attack abnormal characteristics of cancer cells. Certain targeted drugs have been approved to treat lung cancer, but will not be effective for everyone. They might prolong survival in late stage cancers.

Avastin

• Avastin helps deprive tumors of nutrients and oxygen by blocking the formation of blood vessels that serve the tumor. It treats advanced and recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer. In some cases, you might receive it in conjunction with either carboplatin or paclitaxel chemotherapy agents.

Tarceva

• Tarceva interferes with chemical signals that trigger cancer cells to grow and divide. You might receive this treatment for advanced or recurrent non-small-cell lung cancers that have not responded to chemotherapy.