Lung cancer is a difficult disease that spreads easily through the body and kills thousands of people each year, and non-small cell lung cancer -- or NSCLC -- accounts for nine of every 10 cases. Lung cancer treatment is possible and effective when the disease is caught early, although most people aren't diagnosed until later stages when treatment is more about slowing the disease's progression. In some cases -- when lung cancer is detected in its initial stage -- tumors can be surgically removed, resulting in an actual cure. There are several ways that this cancer is treated, each of which has its own unique benefits and drawbacks. Understanding new and traditional lung cancer treatments can help people with this problem make informed and healthy decisions regarding their treatment. Fortunately, treatment for this disease can be customized to the wishes and needs of patients at any stage. The top three lung cancer treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and there are numerous new medication treatments can help patients who've been diagnosed. Some of the newest medications, such as Tagrisso, Opdivo, and Tafinlar Mekinist, can extend patients lives by several months beyond what's possible from chemotherapy alone -- all patients should know about these options. Here are important questions to consider when exploring different lung cancer treatment options.
combination therapy for NSCLC approved by the FDA in the summer of 2017. Designed for patients whose tumors have specific mutations, this treatment option is designated for those with advanced or metastatic NSCLC who have previously received chemotherapy. An independent study showed more than half of patients who used this medication responded positively.
Opdivo (nivolumab) is a prescription medication for the treatment of advanced NSCLC. It is not a first line of treatment -- this medication is meant for patients who have already undergone chemotherapy that contains platinum. In clinical trials, Opdivo improved one-year survival rates for patients when compared to those who were taking chemotherapy-docetaxel.
Approved by the FDA in 2018, Tagrisso is a once-daily prescription medication that blocks the spread of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in patients with specific abnormal EGFR genes. It can be a viable treatment option for people who are seeing diminishing returns from other EGFR+ treatments. It can be used as a first line of treatment.
Approved for the treatment of NSCLC in 2018, Imfinzi is the first treatment for stage III unresectable non-small cell lung cancer to reduce the risk of cancer progressing when it hasn't worsened after chemoradiation. Clinical studies showed patients who used Imfinzi lived an average of 10 months longer than those who did not.
The best surgical option will be the one that removes all of the cancerous tissue successfully. Obviously wedge resection and VATS are preferred because they remove a relatively small amount of lung material. However, in severe cases pneumonectomy may be necessary in order to save a person's life. It is generally only performed when there is no other choice.
Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to kill the cancerous cells in the lungs. They can be injected into the body through a blood vein or taken orally. It is typically prescribed as a non-invasive way of treating cancer, though it may be prescribed before and after surgery to increase its effectiveness. Sometimes it will be used concurrently with radiation therapy for the same reason.
Chemotherapy often requires carefully tweaking the drugs used to minimize the occurrence of side effects. These side effects typically include loss of appetite, sores in the mouth, vomiting and nausea, difficulty with bowel movements, easy bruising, fatigue after treatment, hair loss, and a temporarily compromised immune system. While difficult for some, they are necessary for successful treatment.
Surgical treatment for lung cancer comes in four different types. The first is wedge resection and segmentectomy, which removes the cancerous tissue from the lung. Lobectomy removes a lobe from the lung while a pneumonectomy removes an entire lung. Video-assisted thoracic surgery or VATS is the removal of a lobe or the cancerous tissue using a small scope that is placed in the lungs without opening the chest.