Choosing the best treatment for lung cancer is vital. It is of two types- small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. The type of cancer is diagnosed by referring to what is seen under the microscope. The most common type of lung cancer is non- small cell lung cancer rather than small cell lung cancer. If lung cancer is diagnosed, then further tests are done to detect how far it has spread through lungs, lymph nodes and the rest of the body. This process is called staging; it is done to determine the type and stage of lung cancer. It is important for doctors to determine the type of cancer to provide you with the best treatment.
Types of Treatment:
Lung cancer is treated in several ways depending upon the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread. People who are suffering from non-small cell lung cancer can be easily treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, surgery or even a combination of these treatments. People who have small cell lung cancer usually have to go through radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Discussed below are all the treatments as mentioned above:
Chemotherapy:
In this special lung cancer treatment, medicines are used to shrink or kill cancer. These drugs can be supplied in the form of pills or medicines you take. Sometimes medications are given through veins or both.
Targeted therapy:
In this treatment drugs are used to block the growth and spread of cancer cells. The drugs can be provided in the form of pills you take or medicines given in your veins.
Surgery: It is a treatment in which an operation is conducted by the doctors to remove the cancer tissues.
Radiation therapy:
It is a treatment in which high energy rays such as X rays are used to kill cancer.
Different types of doctors are involved in the process of treating cancer. Doctors such as pulmonologists who are experts in a disease that are related to lungs and Thoracic surgeons who are specialised in chest, heart and lung surgery are involved. Medical oncologists and radiation oncologists are also involved.
Clinical trials are an important part of curing cancer, as it uses new treatment options to see whether the treatment is safe and effective. Cancer patients are also provided with complementary and alternative medicine. Additional medicines are used as an addition to the other standard treatments. It includes acupuncture; dietary supplements massage therapy and meditation.
On the other hand, alternative medicines are used instead of standard treatments such as special teas, magnet therapy, megadose, special diets and herbal preparations. There are many kinds of complementary and alternative medicines and they are not scientifically tested therefore they may not be suitable for you. It is to be on the safer side; therefore, you must talk to your doctor about them.
Choosing the right treatment might be difficult. Therefore, try to be in contact with your doctor about the lung cancer treatments and type of cancer that you are going through. Your doctors will explain to you about the treatment and its benefits. Also, discuss the side effects that your body will go through after being reacted to a different drug.