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Radiation Treatment for Lung Cancer

The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 215,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year. While lung cancer is only the second most common cancer in women and men, it is the leading cause of cancer death by a large margin. The disease kills about 160,000 people each year, representing 30% of all cancer deaths. Radiation therapy is one of the primary treatments for lung cancer and may be used in conjunction with chemotherapy and surgery.

  1. Definition

    • Radiation treatment uses x-ray radiation to directly target and kill cancer cells in the lung. Radiation therapy may be used to shrink a lung tumor so it can be removed surgically, to destroy tumor cells in inoperable cancer or to generally relieve the symptoms of lung cancer. It can be used alone, but is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy or surgery in cases where the lung cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. According to Dr. Editha Krueger, radiation is normally used to treat patients with advanced or inoperable lung cancer.

    External Radiation

    • External beam radiation treatment uses sources of radiation that are externally generated and aimed at cancer cells. It is the most common form of radiation treatment for lung cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Cancer cells divide rapidly, so they are especially vulnerable to radiation that alters their DNA and prevents them from dividing. External radiation treatment is specially targeted to deliver radiation to the cancer cells while protecting the surrounding healthy tissue as much as possible. Treatment may last up to six weeks and most patients will receive treatment sessions five days a week for up to half an hour.

    Internal Radiation

    • Internal radiation treats lung cancer by placing radioactive material directly into or near the tumor. The radiation can be implanted during surgery or delivered through tubes going through the nose into the lungs. Internal radiation treatments usually are less time-intensive than external treatments since the radiation is closer to the source of the cancer. However, according to the National Cancer Institute, internal radiation is less commonly used in treating lung cancer.

    Side Effects

    • The side effects of radiation treatment for lung cancer may vary from patient to patient. According to the American Society for Radiation Oncology, external radiation treatment itself is painless. Common side effects include general fatigue, skin irritation, painful swallowing and shortness of breath. Radiation treatment will only cause hair loss on the area exposed to the radiation, so you may lose hair on your chest but will not lose hair on your head unless you specifically have radiation aimed at your brain.

    Effectiveness

    • According to Dr. James D. Cox, the most effective external radiation for lung cancer involves three-dimensional imaging to precisely target the tumor with high doses of radiation. These treatments may be as effective as surgical removal and are more commonly used today than the traditional two-dimensional treatment. A study conducted at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center found that 36% of stage I lung cancer patients lived for five years after receiving the three-dimensional radiation treatment, known as 3D-CRT. Only 10% of those patients receiving the traditional two-dimensional treatment lived to the five-year mark. For those with more advanced lung cancer, radiation is most effective when combined with chemotherapy. According to the FDA, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is 14%.

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