Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
What is radiation therapy?
In radiation therapy - or radiotherapy - high-powered x-rays are beamed at the location of the cancer cells to destroy the rapidly dividing cells. The radiation will kill off both healthy and cancerous cells in that location, but there are methods of delivering the radiation that minimize the side effects of radiation on healthy cells.
Most radiotherapy is external beam therapy (EBT), in which a highly focused beam of radiation is aimed directly at the edges of the tumor site. Because of its concentration, EBT minimizes the chance of damaging healthy cells. EBT will often be delivered in 'fractions' - short durations of radiation spread over several weeks. The most recent studies suggest that the best effects are had when there are more frequent, shorter fractions than in larger fractions spread out over a longer period of time. Discuss with your doctor which is the best timing for you.
Another type of radiation therapy is conformal radiation therapy, in which a CAT scan helps to create a 3-D image of the tumor and shape the x-ray beams exactly to the size and shape of the tumor. When conformal radiation therapy is used, the damage to surrounding tissues is nearly eliminated completely. Intensity modulated radiation therapy is an advanced form of precision radiation therapy that works with a CAT scan to target only the cancerous cells. It can be fine-tuned to only affect certain areas of the tumor.
Sometimes radiation therapy is used to relieve the symptoms of lung cancer, even if it won't cure the cancer on its own. It may be prescribed before or after surgery, and be designed to shrink the tumor, or make it less active. Instead of using an external beam in those cases, a doctor may recommend brachytherapy, a procedure in which the surgeon implants small, radioactive seeds directly at the site of the cancer. Brachytherapy can help stop bleeding in tumors, and open up blocked airways by reducing the size of tumors blocking the bronchi or windpipe.
Radiotherapy is seldom recommended as the sole treatment for lung cancer. If there is any suspicion that the cancer may have spread - as is often the case in small cell lung cancer - your oncologist will probably also recommend a course of chemotherapy, either before, after or concurrent with the radiotherapy. Because radiotherapy is localized - the beam is focused directly at the cancerous cells - using it in conjunction with chemotherapy usually offers a better chance at clearing up lung cancer completely and preventing a recurrence.
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.