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Lung cancer can go away if treated in the early stages, especially when the cancer is localized and has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other sites
Lung cancer can go away if treated in the early stages, especially when the cancer is localized and has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other sites in the body. However, each case is unique and survival rates depend on the type and stage of cancer, as well as factors such as age and overall health.
Though the general survival rate for lung cancer is low, life expectancy can be prolonged with appropriate treatment which can slow down the progression of the disease.
Nonetheless, lung cancer may return even in patients who have been free of cancer for some years and the disease has a high death rate.
What are treatment options for lung cancer?
Lung cancer treatment is extremely customized because the best course of action is determined by the type, stage, location and nature of the cancer. An oncologist will consider the patient's age, symptoms, overall health, and preferences when deciding on a treatment plan.
Surgery
Surgery for lung cancer involves removal of some or all of the lung, followed by transplantation with a donor’s lung. Types of surgery include:
- Lobectomy: The lung is divided into lobes; the right lung has 3 lobes and the left has 2 lobes. Sleeve lobectomy is performed when tumors affect one lobe and the primary bronchus that leads to that lung. The malignant lobe and a part of the main bronchus are removed.
- Segmentectomy: Each lung lobe is made up of 2-5 lung segments. Surgeons can remove 1-4 segments of certain lobes and preserve the uninvolved tissue.
- Wedge resection: A wedge resection is the surgical removal of a tiny wedge-shaped portion of lung tissue surrounding a malignant tumor.
- Pneumonectomy: Pneumonectomy is the surgical removal of the entire cancerous lung. This is often performed if the malignancy cannot be eliminated with a lobectomy or if the lesion is in the center of the lung.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for small-cell lung cancer, but it may also be used before, after, or instead of surgery in non-small-cell lung cancer.
Chemotherapy for lung cancer is typically administered intravenously and in two ways.
- Adjuvant therapy: Administered following lung cancer surgery to treat any residual malignancy.
- Neoadjuvant therapy: Administered before surgery to shrink the tumor.
If a patient is not a candidate for surgery, chemotherapy may be done to help shrink the tumor.
Chemotherapy is administered in 3-4 weeks cycles so that the patient can recover between cycles. If the cancer has progressed, the patient may require 4-6 cycles of treatment.
Radiation therapy
Radiation can be used before or after lung cancer surgery to reduce the tumor or eliminate any cancer cells that remain in the lungs. External radiation is sometimes used as the primary form of lung cancer treatment. This is frequently the case for people who are not in good enough health to have surgery or whose cancer has progressed too far for surgery.
Radiation therapy for lung cancer can be used to address symptoms produced by the malignancy, such as pain, bleeding, or tumor occlusion of the airways. Prophylactic cranial radiation may be administered to prevent brain metastasis because chances of spread from the lungs to the brain are high.
Radiation techniques for lung cancer include the following:
- External beam radiation: Radiation doses are directed toward the lungs or adjacent tissues from a radiation source placed outside the body.
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy: Radiation beams are custom-made to fit the contour of the tumor. Throughout the session, the intensity of the treatment can be adjusted.
- Brachytherapy: A sealed radioactive substance is introduced into or around the tumor.
- Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR): SBRT or SABR delivers a high dose of radiation to malignancies in the lung or other organs while reducing the dose to surrounding tissues.
- Stereotactic radiosurgery: To treat lung cancer tumors that have spread to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), a very high dose of radiation is delivered in a targeted manner.
Photodynamic therapy (PTD)
Photodynamic therapy, commonly called PDT or light-activating treatment, is a type of light therapy that destroys cancer cells by combining a light sensitizing medication and an extremely bright light:
- A small tube called cannula is inserted into a vein in the back of the hand.
- Anesthetic drugs are administered through the cannula to induce sleep.
- A bronchoscope, or long flexible tube, is inserted into the airway.
- The camera of the bronchoscope allows the doctor to see the insides of the lungs and detect the area with cancer.
- The end of the tube is placed near the tumor and fires a low-power laser light at it.
PDT is typically performed as outpatient treatment in the endoscopy unit of a hospital. It takes about 30 minutes. PDT can be used in conjunction with other methods of lung cancer treatment.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy aims to reestablish the body's ability to fight cancer and eventually eliminate it entirely. It accomplishes this in one of two ways:
- Assists the immune system to work harder
- Allows the immune system to detect and eliminate cancer cells
There are 4 types of immunotherapy treatments for lung cancer that are currently being used or tested:
- Checkpoint inhibitors: Checkpoints balance the immune system so that they do not destroy healthy normal cells. Tumors that produce PD-L1 proteins activate these checkpoints so that the immune cells do not destroy cancer cells. Checkpoint inhibitors reactivate the immune system, allowing it to fight cancer.
- Monoclonal antibodies: Antibodies are proteins that the body creates to fight infections or diseases. Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic antibodies that function similarly to natural antibodies, except they specifically target cancer cells.
- Vaccines: Vaccines can be used to either prevent or treat disease. There are no FDA-approved vaccinations for lung cancer therapy or prevention, but studies on these are underway.
- Adoptive cell therapy: Adoptive cell treatment involves extracting T-cells and treating them so that they effectively fight cancer. They are multiplied in a lab before being reintroduced into the body, where they attack cancer cells. Trials are still underway.
What are different types of lung cancer?
Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer globally, leading to numerous deaths every year.
People who smoke are at higher risk, and studies have suggested that female smokers may be more likely than male smokers to develop lung cancer. However, lung cancer can occur in people who have never smoked as well.
Types of lung cancer include:
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
NSCLC accounts for about 80% of all lung cancer cases. This type of cancer usually grows and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer. NSCLC is classified into three types:
- Adenocarcinoma: Commonly detected on the lung's outer surface and originates in the cells that form glands which secrete mucus.
- Squamous cell carcinoma: Typically develops in the center of the lung near the main airway (bronchus).
- Large cell carcinoma: A type of NSCLC that can develop in any part of the lung and grows and spreads more quickly than adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma.
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC)
SCLC is classified into two types: small cell carcinoma and mixed small cell, also called large cell malignancy or sometimes, combination small cell lung cancer. The type of SCLC is named after the type of cells detected in the tumor and how the cells appear under a microscope.
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What are the symptoms of lung cancer?
Symptoms typically appear in the later stages of lung cancer and may include:
- Coughing that never goes away
- Coughing up blood along with mucus
- Chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Headache
- Voice hoarse
- Unintentional weight loss
- Pain in the bones
Can lung cancer be prevented?
Although lung cancer cannot always be prevented, the most common cause of lung cancer is smoking. It is crucial to quit smoking and to avoid secondhand smoke.
Even if you have smoked for a long time, quitting can reduce your risk of developing cancer. If you already have lung cancer, quitting improves the effectiveness of therapy and may help you live longer.
