Treatments for Lung Cancer
Options to Consider

How extensive the operation will be depends on the size and location of the tumor. There are also various ways of surgically removing the tumor in your lungs.

What are the different surgery options?

A tumor in the lungs can be surgically removed through a . . .

• Lobectomy

  In lobectomy, the entire lobe of your lung where the tumor is located is removed. It is recommended when your lungs are fully functioning. Mortality risk is 3 to 4% and goes up if you are older

  
  

• Resection

  This is recommended if your lungs are not fully functioning and if the tumor is still tiny and confined to a certain area such as at the edge of your lungs. It can be segmental or wedge resectioning.

  Resectioning is done by removing the tumor and a small part of the tissues in your lungs that surround the tumor. Among the different surgery treatments, mortality risk for resectioning is much lower at 1.4%.

  
  

• Pneumonectomy

  Among the surgical treatments for lung cancer, pneumonectomy has the highest mortality risk at 5 to 8%.

  It involves the surgical removal of the entire lung affected by the tumor.

Radiation treatment include 2 options: standard or conventional and proton radiation. In both treatments, energy rays are used to kill the tumor and to relieve some of the effects of lung cancer. These 2 options are recommended as . . .

• one of the primary treatments which can be administered alone or with chemotherapy,

• pre-surgery treatment to shrink the tumor,

• post surgery treatment to remove malignant cells that might have been missed during the surgery, and

• one of the treatments for metastatic tumor that has spread to the brain and other organs.

Related Article: Proton Radiation: Is It the Best Treatment?

3. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy and radiation treatments are recommended for small cell lung cancer or SCLC because together, these options are more effective. However, serious side effects from combination of these treatments can also occur.

Chemotherapy involves the use of medicines given either through direct injection into a vein or a catheter put into a large vein to kill cancerous cells.

It is also usually administered after surgery to destroy any cancerous cells that cannot be or have not been removed.

It can be given during all the stages of tumor in the lungs for the prevention of its growth and relief of symptoms especially if you can't be operated on.

Reference: Radiology Info.org

Any of these possible treatments for lung cancer will have its side effects. Awareness of the side effects you can expect from these treatments is a must. It's up to you, your doctor and your family to weigh the pros and cons of the available treatments for lung cancer.