Lung cancer can be of two types: small cells and not small cells, which is the most common, the oncologist indicates treatment according to these types, classification, tumor size, general health and whether it has metastatized or not, that is when the cancer spreads to other organs.
However, treatment is based on surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy or laser therapy, and one or more of these treatment modalities may be indicated.
- It is important to note that lung cancer is more likely to recover when diagnosed early and will depend on the response to treatment your doctor tells you.
- Learn more about these treatments:.
Surgery to treat lung cancer is done to remove the tumor and lymph nodes affected by cancer to prevent cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body.
Depending on the characteristics of the cancer, chest surgeons perform the following surgeries to treat lung cancer:
Lobectomy: This is when a complete lobe is removed from the lung, and this is the most appropriate type of surgery for lung cancer, even when the tumors are small;
Pneumectomy: is performed when the entire lung is removed and indicated when the tumor is large and located near the center;
Segmentectomy: A small part of the lung lobe is removed with cancer.It is indicated for patients with small tumors or brittle health;
Sleeve resection: not very common and is done to remove a tumor that affects the area of the bronchi, which are the ducts that carry air to the lungs.
Surgeries are usually performed by opening your chest, called thoracotomies, but can be performed using a video, called video-assisted chest surgery. Videosurgery is less invasive, has a shorter recovery time, and causes less postoperative pain than open surgery, but is not indicated for all types of lung cancer.
Recovery time after surgery depends on the type of surgery performed, but usually the hospital discharge is after 7 days and recovery and return to normal activities can last from 6 to 12 weeks.Your surgeon will give you pain relievers and may recommend respiratory physiotherapy to improve your breathing.
Complications such as shortness of breath, bleeding or infections may occur after surgery, so it’s important to always follow your surgeon’s recommendations and take the indicated medications.
In addition, after surgery a drain is placed to remove the blood and fluids accumulated in surgery, it is necessary to maintain care in the dressing of the drain and always inform the appearance of the contents inside the drain.Check everything on the drain after surgery.
Chemotherapy is a common treatment for several types of lung cancer and aims to destroy cancer cells, located in the lungs or spreading throughout the body.This type of treatment is performed by applying drugs intravenously or by injections, in some cases being more specific in tablets.The drugs used in chemotherapy were developed to destroy and stop the growth of cancer cells.
The duration of chemotherapy depends on the type, extent and severity of lung cancer, but lasts an average of 1 year.Chemotherapy sessions are called cycles and each cycle is performed every 3 to 4 weeks.Rest time is needed between each cycle because chemotherapy also destroys healthy cells that need to recover.
The most commonly used chemotherapy drugs for the treatment of lung cancer are cisplatin, etopose, gefitinib, paclitaxel, vinorelbin or vinblastine and according to the treatment protocol indicated by your doctor, may be used in combination with each other and in other types of treatment., for example, this can be done before or after surgery.
However, side effects associated with the use of these medications, such as hair loss, mouth inflammation, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, infections, blood disorders and extreme fatigue, for example, are common.. Understand what needs to be done to mitigate the side effects of chemotherapy.
Most side effects go away after treatment is completed, but in some cases painkillers or nausea remedies may be used to relieve symptoms and facilitate follow-up treatment.See some simple tips on how to alleviate the main side effects of chemotherapy:
Certain types of lung cancer produce specific proteins that prevent the body’s defense cells from destroying cancer cells; for this reason, some drugs have been developed to block the action of these proteins that lead the body to fight cancer.
These medications are part of immunotherapy because they help the body’s immunity to treat lung cancer. Some of the drugs used for lung cancer are atezolizumab, durvalumab, nivolumab and pembrolizumab. Several other similar drugs are currently being developed and tested to treat all types of lung cancer.
Immunotherapy medications have side effects other than chemotherapy, and these effects are generally minor, however, they can cause fatigue, shortness of breath and diarrhea.
Radiation therapy is a treatment for lung cancer that uses radiation to destroy cancer cells and external radiation can be applied by a machine that emits beams of radiation, or by brachytherapy, in which radioactive material is placed next to the tumor.
Before starting radiation therapy sessions, a plan is made and marks are made on the skin, indicating the correct placement of the radiation therapy device, and thus, all sessions are always in the marked place.
Radiation therapy, such as chemotherapy, may also be done in conjunction with other types of treatments, such as before surgery, to reduce the size of the tumor, or later to destroy cancer cells that may still be in the lungs.The type of treatment can also cause side effects, such as fatigue, loss of appetite, sore throat, inflammation where radiation is applied, fever, cough and shortness of breath, for example.
Side effects usually go away at the end of treatment, but some symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath and fever, indicators of inflammation of the lungs, may persist for a few months.Learn what to eat to reduce the effects of radiation therapy.
Photodynamic therapy for lung cancer is used in the early stages of the disease when the airway blocked by the tumor needs to be unlocked. This therapy involves the use of a special drug, which is injected into the bloodstream to accumulate in cancer.Cells.
Once the drug has accumulated in the tumor, a laser beam is applied at the site to destroy the cancer cells, which are then removed by bronchoscopy. Photodynamic therapy can cause inflammation of the airways for a few days, resulting in shortness of breath, with coughing and mucus, that can be treated in the hospital.
Laser therapy is a treatment used in some cases of lung cancer, especially if the tumor is small. In this type of treatment, the laser is applied by endoscopy, through a flexible tube that is inserted through the mouth into the lung, called a bronchoscope.to destroy cancer cells.
The laser application procedure is similar to performing an endoscopy, lasts an average of 30 minutes, requires a 6-hour fast and sedation is performed to sleep during the exam and do not feel pain.
In cases where lung cancer is in an early stage, radiofrequency ablation is indicated instead of surgery, which uses the heat produced by radio waves to destroy lung cancer cells, using needles or tubes. that heat and destroy the tumor. These needles are guided by CT scans. to determine the exact location of the tumor.
This procedure is sedated and lasts approximately 30 minutes. After performing this treatment, the site may become painful, so your doctor prescribes the use of painkillers, such as pain relievers.