Lung cancer refers to the rapid growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs, which do not carry out the functions of normal lung cells and do not develop into healthy lung tissue. As they grow, the abnormal cells can form tumors that interfere with the working of the lung whose function is to provide oxygen to the body via the blood.
Non-small cell lung cancer is a type of epithelial lung cancer and accounts for about 85% of all lung cancer cases. Moreover, it is relatively insensitive to chemotherapy as compared to small-cell lung cancer.
Risk factors for non-small cell lung cancer include:
- Smoking
- Inhaling secondhand smoke regularly
- Radon
- Poor lifestyle and dietary choices
There are various surgical and non-surgical treatments available for non-small cell lung cancer. These treatment methods can be used by themselves or in combination, depending on the patient’s ability to withstand it and the nature of the disease in that particular case. These include the following:
1. Surgery
Surgery to remove cancer may be an option during the early stages of the disease. Surgical procedures of non-small lung cancer are complex operations that can have serious consequences. Non-small lung cancer treatments for most stage I and II NSCLC involve surgery to remove the tumor. For this procedure, a surgeon removes the lobe, or section, of the lung containing the tumor. Some surgeons use video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.
2. Radiation therapy
This uses intense energy rays or particles to demolish cancer cells depending on the stage of the and other factors. It might be used as one of the non-small lung cancer treatments if the lung tumor cannot be removed because of its size and location, if a person isn’t healthy enough for surgery, or doesn’t want surgery. It is also used to treat symptoms such as pain, bleeding, trouble swallowing cough or problems caused by the spread of cancer to other organs such as the brain.
3. Chemotherapy
It is one of the common non-small lung cancer treatments wherein anti-cancer medication is injected into a vein or taken orally. These medications enter the bloodstream travel throughout the body, making them effective for treating cancer. It may be used before surgery to try to shrink the tumor, in which case it is known as neoadjuvant therapy. It can also be used after surgery to try to kill cancer cells, in which case it is known as adjuvant therapy. In certain cases, lung cancer may recur despite successful chemotherapy treatments. In such cases, doctors often prescribe a second course of chemotherapy.
4. Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is the use of medicines to the patient’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells effectively. It has emerged as one of the new non-small lung cancer treatments. Also called biologic therapy, it is designed to boost the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer.
5. Targeted therapy
Targeted therapies are designed specifically to attack cancer cells by attaching to or blocking targets that appear on the surface of those cells. People who have advanced stages of lung cancer with certain molecular presence may receive non-small lung cancer treatments in the form of targeted therapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy.
The follow-up care post non-small cell lung cancer treatment includes the following steps:
- Regular physical examinations and medical tests.
- Helping patients transition into their everyday lives.
- Keeping a medical support system for maintaining physical and emotional health of the patient.