The lungs absorb oxygen from the air and bring the oxygen into the bloodstream for delivery to the rest of the body. As the body’s cells use oxygen, they release carbon dioxide. The bloodstream carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs, and the carbon dioxide leaves the body when a person exhales.
Lungs Cancer
Lung cancer begins when cells in the lung change and grow uncontrollably to form a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be noncancerous or cancerous. A cancerous tumor is a collection of a large number of cancer cells that have the ability to spread to other parts of the body in a process. A lung tumor can begin anywhere in the lung. Good news is, we have treatment for lung cancer.
Types:
Non-Small Cell Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comes from epithelial cells and is the most common type.
Small-Cell Small cell lung cancer begins in the nerve cells or hormone-producing cells of the lung. The term “small cell” refers to the size and shape of the cancer cells as seen under a microscope. It is important for doctors to distinguish NSCLC from small cell lung cancer because the two types of cancer are usually treated in different ways.
Lobotomy The lungs have five lobes, three in the right lung and two in the left lung. For NSCLC, a lobectomy (removal of an entire lobe of the lung) has been shown to be the most effective type of surgery, even when the lung tumor is very small.
A Wedge If the surgeon cannot remove an entire lobe of the lung, the surgeon can remove the tumor, surrounded by a margin of normal lung.
Pneumonectomy If the tumor is close to the center of the chest, the surgeon may have to remove the entire lung.
Radiofrequency Ablation Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the use of a needle inserted into the tumor to destroy the cancer with an electrical current. It is sometimes used for a lung tumor that cannot be removed with the other types of surgery listed above. The time it takes to recover from lung surgery depends on how much of the lung is removed and the health of the patient before surgery. Talk with your health care team about what to expect before your surgery, including recovery time and possible side effects. Learn more about cancer surgery.
Adjuvant Therapy Adjuvant therapy is treatment that is given after surgery to lower the risk of the lung cancer returning. Adjuvant therapy includes radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and possibly targeted therapy. Each therapy is described below. It is intended to get rid of any lung cancer cells that may still be in the body after surgery. It may decrease the risk of recurrence, though there is always some risk that the cancer will come back.
Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy is the use of high energy x-rays or other particles to kill cancer cells. If you need radiation therapy, you will be asked to see a specialist called a radiation oncologist, a doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer. The most common type of radiation treatment is called external-beam radiation therapy, which is radiation given from a machine outside the body. When radiation treatment is given using implants, it is called internal radiation therapy or Brachy Therapy. A radiation therapy regimen (schedule) usually consists of a specific number of treatments given over a set period of time.
Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells, usually by stopping the cancer cells’ ability to grow and divide. Systemic chemotherapy is delivered through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy is given by a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with medication. Most chemotherapy used for lung cancer is injected into a vein (called intravenous, or IV injection). A chemotherapy regimen usually consists of a specific number of cycles given over a set period of time. A patient may receive one drug at a time or combinations of different drugs at the same time.
Targeted Therapy Targeted therapy is a treatment that targets the cancer’s specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to cancer growth and survival. This type of treatment blocks the growth and spread of cancer cells while limiting damage to normal cells. Recent studies show that not all tumors have the same targets. To find the most effective treatment, your doctor may run tests to identify the genes, proteins, and other factors in your tumor. For some lung cancers, abnormal proteins are found in unusually large amounts in the cancer cells. Running tests to find these proteins can help doctors better match each patient with the most effective treatment whenever possible. In addition, many research studies are taking place now to find out more about specific molecular targets and new treatments directed at them.
