Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy may be treatment options in lung cancers. It can be applied alone or in combination therapy.
The treatment option varies depending on the type of cancer, its stage, the age of the patient, and whether there is any additional disease. The expert team following the patient decides on the type of treatment together with the patient. The main purpose is not to leave cancer cells behind.
Treatment in non-small cell lung cancer:
Surgery should be the first line of treatment for early stage, non-invasive non-small cell lung cancer. Radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy can be applied in early stage cases that are not suitable for surgery. Chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy may be tried in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Surgical treatment : Surgical treatment in lung cancers is an effective but difficult method. There may be some side effects. In surgical treatment, it is aimed to completely remove all tumor tissue, including surrounding lymph nodes. The entire tumor, a lobe, a segment, or a small part of the lung can be removed. This will be decided by the surgical team. Before or after surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy can be added to prevent cancer cells from remaining behind.
Recently, new methods such as robotic surgery (RATS), video assisted surgery (VATS) have become widespread in surgical treatments. Newer methods are less or less effective and more tolerable.
Although surgery is a very good option in patients who are suitable for surgery, side effects such as bleeding, infection, anesthesia-related effects, and deep vein thrombosis can be seen.
Surgical treatment can be used for other organs in case of metastasis, apart from early-stage cancers. It can also be tried for palliative purposes to relieve the patient’s complaints in advanced cancers.
Radiofrequency ablation therapy : It is a treatment option especially in early stage non-small cell lung cancers located in the outer parts of the lung. With the help of computed tomography, a needle is inserted into the tumor and radiation waves are given. The most serious complication is pneumothorax.
Radiotherapy: The growth and proliferation of cancer cells is suppressed with x-rays. It can be used alone or to reduce tumor size before surgery and to prevent cancerous cells from remaining after surgery.
Radiotherapy can be applied internally or externally. In external application, the tumor area on the skin is marked with computed tomography. Radiation beams are applied at the appropriate dose and duration. The patient is checked periodically.
In internal radiation application, radioactive material is given to the tumor area with the help of bronchoscopy. It is usually given for a short time and as much as possible, healthy tissues are tried to be preserved.
Side effects such as weakness, nausea, vomiting, skin discoloration, hair loss can be seen due to the radiotherapy process. Side effects may be more common when administered with chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy: It can be used alone or before or after surgery or radiotherapy. In this way, it increases the effectiveness of other treatments. Oral or intravenous different chemotherapy drugs are administered by the team following the appropriate ones in the form of cure.
Side effects such as hair loss, sores in the mouth, susceptibility to infections, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, bleeding tendency can be seen. The following team can apply supportive treatments to combat these side effects.
Immunotherapy : These are treatments that target the introduction of cancer cells to the immune system. Cytokines, monoclonal antibodies and vaccines may be used. For this purpose, drugs such as nivolumab, pembrolizumab, cemiplimab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, ipilimumab, tremelimumab may be options. This treatment method is used as a support for other treatments rather than as a stand-alone treatment.
Small cell lung cancer treatment
When this type of cancer is diagnosed, it has mostly spread to other organs or tissues. Therefore, surgery is not generally preferred as the first choice in treatment. The mainstay of treatment is chemotherapy. In addition, radiotherapy and immunotherapy can be tried before or after. The main purpose of treatment is to reduce symptoms and prolong life. Surgery can also be applied if the cancer is detected before symptoms and at a very early stage.
Surgical treatment : Surgical treatment is an effective but difficult method in very early stage small cell lung cancers. There may be some side effects. In surgical treatment, it is aimed to completely remove all tumor tissue, including surrounding lymph nodes. The entire tumor, a lobe, a segment, or a small part of the lung can be removed. This will be decided by the surgical team. Before or after surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy can be added to prevent cancer cells from remaining behind.
Recently, new methods such as robotic surgery (RATS), video assisted surgery (VATS) have become widespread in surgical treatments. Newer methods are less or less effective and more tolerable.
Although surgery is a very good option in patients who are suitable for surgery, side effects such as bleeding, infection, anesthesia-related effects, and deep vein thrombosis can be seen.
Surgical treatment can be used for other organs in case of metastasis, apart from very early stage cancers. It can also be tried for palliative purposes to relieve the patient’s complaints in advanced cancers.
Radiofrequency ablation therapy : It is a treatment option especially in early stage small cell lung cancers located in the outer parts of the lung. With the help of computed tomography, a needle is inserted into the tumor and radiation waves are given. The most serious complication is pneumothorax.
Radiotherapy: The growth and proliferation of cancer cells is suppressed with x-rays. It can be used alone or to reduce tumor size before surgery and to prevent cancerous cells from remaining after surgery.
Radiotherapy can be applied internally or externally. In external application, the tumor area on the skin is marked with computed tomography. Radiation beams are applied at the appropriate dose and duration. The patient is checked periodically.
In internal radiation application, radioactive material is given to the tumor area with the help of bronchoscopy. It is usually given for a short time and as much as possible, healthy tissues are tried to be preserved.
Side effects such as weakness, nausea, vomiting, skin discoloration, hair loss can be seen due to the radiotherapy process. Side effects may be more common when administered with chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy: It can be used alone or before or after surgery or radiotherapy. In this way, it increases the effectiveness of other treatments. Oral or intravenous different chemotherapy drugs are administered by the team following the appropriate ones in the form of cure.
Side effects such as hair loss, sores in the mouth, susceptibility to infections, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, bleeding tendency can be seen. The following team can apply supportive treatments to combat these side effects.
Immunotherapy : These are treatments that target the introduction of cancer cells to the immune system. Cytokines, monoclonal antibodies and vaccines may be used. For this purpose, drugs such as nivolumab, pembrolizumab, cemiplimab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, ipilimumab, tremelimumab may be options. This treatment method is used as a support for other treatments rather than as a stand-alone treatment.