Lungs Cancer
- The lungs are two spongy organs found in the chest that take in oxygen when we inhale and release carbon dioxide when we exhale.
- Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
- People who smoke have the greatest risk of lung cancer.
- The two main types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
- These categories refer to what the cancer cells look like under a microscope.
- Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer.
- If the patient have lung cancer (especially non-small cell lung cancer), your doctor may run tests to find out if they have a change in your genes (genetic mutation).
- The results of these tests help the doctor to determine which treatments will work best for the patient.
- If lung cancer is diagnosed, other tests are done to find out how far it has spread through the lungs, lymph nodes, and the rest of the body. This process is called staging. The type and stage of lung cancer tells doctors what kind of treatment the patient need.
The Types of Treatment may include:
- Lung cancer is treated in several ways, depending on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread.
- People with non-small cell lung cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of these treatments.
- People with small cell lung cancer are usually treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Surgeries will involve an operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue.
Chemotherapy: Doctors Use special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in the veins, or sometimes both.
Radiation therapy: Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer.
Targeted therapy: Using drugs to block the growth and spread of cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins.
Complementary and alternative medicine are medicines and health practices that are not standard cancer treatments. Complementary medicine is used in addition to standard treatments. Examples include acupuncture, dietary supplements, massage therapy, hypnosis, and meditation. Alternative medicine is used instead of standard treatments. Examples include special diets, megadose vitamins, herbal preparations, special teas, and magnet therapy. Doctors from different specialties often work together to treat lung cancer, those specialties are:
Pulmonologists are doctors who are experts in diseases of the lungs.
Surgeons are doctors who perform operations.
Thoracic surgeons specialize in chest, heart, and lung surgery.
Medical oncologists are doctors who treat cancer with medicines. Radiation oncologists are doctors who treat cancers with radiation. Choosing the treatment that is right for every patient is specific. Patient has to talk to the cancer doctor about the treatment options available for their specific type and stage of cancer. Doctors will explain the risks and benefits of each treatment and their side effects.