Lung Cancer Treatment Information

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor of the lung that that is associated with the uncontrolled growth of cell in tissues situated in the lung. It is a very severe condition and if it is not treated, this growth may spread to other parts of the body through a process known as metastasis. Its most common symptoms include coughing, weight loss, chest pains and shortness of breath.

Treatment and long term outcomes of the cancer depends mainly on the type of cancer, the stage in which the cancer is and the overall health of the patient. There are a number of treatment methods that you may opt to go through. These methods of treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In some cases, you might choose not to undergo treatment, especially if the side effects of the treatment outweigh the benefits of comfort care.

The major method of lung cancer treatment is surgery. In this method, the doctor surgically removes the lung cancer and a portion of healthy tissue. It may be performed through a number of procedures namely segmental resection, Lobectomy, Pneumonectomy or wedge resection. Lung cancer surgery has its risks, including bleeding out, infection and shortness of breath.

Another method of lung cancer treatment involves chemotherapy which uses drugs to kill cancerous cells. These drugs may be given by way of injection or orally. A combination of these drugs is given over a period of time with breaks so that you can recover. It is mostly used after surgery to kill the cells that may remain to ensure that the cancer does not return.

The other major type of treatment is radiation therapy. This involves using highly powered radiations like x rays to kill cancerous cells. It can be directed to the cancer in your lung from outside the body. It may also be inside needles, or seeds and put inside your body near the cancer cells. It is also used after surgery so as to get rid of any cancer cells that may remain.