LUNG CANCER TREATMENT

Treatments for lung cancer have come a long way. Radiation can be more precisely focused to minimize damage to healthy lung tissue: and chemotherapy regiments are now available that have fewer side effects and are easier on patients. Recent advances in treatment have increased survival rates and improved the quality of life of patients significantly.

Surgery techniques have improved. Video assisted thoracoscopy (VAT) results in a much smaller incision and quicker recovery. This has recently been introduced into practice and has been a great advance for patients undergoing surgery.

Patients with locally advanced lung cancer, which involves lymph nodes in the middle of the chest, historically have had poor results with surgery alone. New approaches include giving chemotherapy and radiation therapy followed by surgery. A large percentage of patients respond to this treatment, which is referred to as neoadjuvant therapy. Results are promising for this approach.

Chemotherapy for metastatic lung cancer has improved. Current chemotherapy drugs are more effective and better tolerated than in the past. Patients treated with chemotherapy have a longer survival rate and improved quality of life compared to those not treated. New drugs are under development, which inhibit cancer growth in different ways. Many of these are pills taken at home, which do not cause the typical side effects of chemotherapy. These and other new agents are available locally through research studies. Advances are being made very rapidly in research and these discoveries are now helping us develop better treatments for the future.