Treatment Options for Lung Cancer

Lung cancer occurs when cells within the lung tissue become mutated. Although some of these mutations can occur via the exposure to environmental toxins, such as tobacco smoke and radon, others occur seemingly at random. Once these cells mutate, they may grow uncontrollably, which leads to the generation of cancerous cells. Not only can these cells disrupt the normal function of the lungs, but they can also spread to other tissues (a process known as metastasis), where they can cause further damage.

Surgery

• According to the American Cancer Society, surgery is often recommended for lung cancer that is detected in its early stages. If done early, surgery offers the chance to cure lung cancer. The goal of surgery is to remove the cancerous tissue as well as a small amount of the healthy tissue around the tumor(s). This ensures that none of the cancerous tissue remains. There are three different kinds of surgery for lung cancer: wedge resection, lobectomy and pneumonectomy. A wedge resection involves taking out a small portion of the lung. A lobectomy entails the removal of an entire lobe of the lung (the lung can be divided up into subsections called lobes). A pneumonectomy is the removal of one of the lungs. The type of surgery that is recommended will depend on the extent of the cancer spread. Often when surgery is performed, lymph nodes near the lung will be removed to see if the cancer has spread beyond the lung tissue.

Radiation

• Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-ray beams to kill the cancer cells. The American Cancer Society notes two different kinds of radiation therapy: external and internal therapy. External therapy uses X-rays that are generated from a device outside the body, which are then directed at the chest wall. Recent developments include three-dimensional conformational radiation therapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy, which use computers to determine the tumor's precise location. These computers then direct the X-rays directly at the tumor, causing less damage to the healthy tissue. Internal radiation therapy involves the implantation of a small piece of radioactive material directly in the tumor or in the nearest airway. This material emits radiation a short distance away, which damages the tumor. This method is often used to shrink a tumor to help relieve symptoms.

Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy uses the administration of drugs that combat cancer either via intravenous injection or by taking the medications orally. Chemotherapy works throughout the entire body, which makes it an effective treatment for lung cancer that has spread throughout the body, a process known as metastasis. The American Cancer Society notes that most chemotherapy is given as a combination of two different drugs, commonly cisplatin or carboplatin and one other drug. These other medications include the anti-cancer drugs paclitaxel, gemcitabine, vinblastine, and pemetrexed. Combinations of chemotherapy drugs are usually designed to combine drugs with different methods of killing cancer cells as well as different side effects to attempt to minimize toxicity to healthy cells.

Targeted Therapies

• Targeted therapies involve the use of medications that are specifically designed to inhibit cancer growth, spread, and survival. While these medications are not directly toxic to cancer cells, they do block some of the chemical signals that these cells use to divide and invade other tissues. Examples of these medications include Bevacizumab, which prevents the new formation of blood vessels. As tumors grow and spread, they need to create new blood vessels to supply them with oxygen and nutrients. As a result, preventing the formation of new blood vessels prevents tumors from growing beyond a small size and makes it harder for them to spread. Another set of medications, including Erlotinib, blocks a cellular signal that cancer cells often hijack to grow faster.