WHAT EARLY SIGNS OF CANCER ALL MEN OUGHT TO KNOW
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This section will help you learn about the different types of treatment and their side effects so you can discuss your options with your health care team. This will help you choose the best treatment option for you. Lung cancer treatment is always changing. Ask your doctor about new and promising treatments at any point in your care. Always make sure your care team answers all of your questions to your own satisfaction.
Surgery
SurgerySurgery is an option for some patients depending on the type and stage of their lung cancer. Surgery can remove the tumor along with the diseased part of the lung. Removing the tumor with surgery is the most common option when the cancer has not spread.
Surgery may be the first step in lung cancer treatment or used after other treatments. The following surgical procedures are used to treat lung cancer.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapyRadiation therapy uses powerful, high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. Radiation may come from outside the body (external) or from radioactive materials placed directly inside the tumor (internal/implant). External radiation is used most often. The radiation is aimed at the tumor and kills the cancer cells only in that area of the lungs.
Radiation can be used before surgery to shrink the tumor. It may also be used after surgery to kill any cancer cells left in the lungs. Sometimes external radiation is used as the main type of lung cancer treatment. This is often the case for people who may not be healthy enough to have surgery or whose cancer has spread too far to have surgery. Radiation can also be used to relieve symptoms caused by the cancer, such as pain, bleeding or blockage of airways by the tumor.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy PatientChemotherapy means the use of special powerful drugs to destroy cancer cells throughout the body. Sometimes several drugs are given at the same time. Chemotherapy can be the main type of treatment or it can be used along with surgery and/or radiation therapy. Sometimes chemotherapy is used to shrink the tumor before other treatment. Sometimes it is used to kill any cancers cells that are left after the first treatment. It may also be used in later stages of the disease to relieve cancer symptoms.
Most of these drugs are either taken as a pill or given by IV (intravenous) line. The treatment is given in cycles. Each period of treatment is followed by a recovery period.
Chemotherapy can also kill normal cells like blood, skin and nerve cells. When normal cells die, it can cause side effects. There is the promise of a type of chemotherapy that only targets cancer cells. This type of therapy, called targeted therapy, avoids healthy cells and reduces side effects.
Targeted Therapies
Fingers holding test tubeTreatment that kills cancer cells can also affect normal cells. This can cause unwanted side effects. New drugs called targeted therapies help reduce damage to healthy cells. They focus more on cancer cells by interrupting the way cancer cells function and grow. They attack specific targets on or in the tumor cells. Not every person is eligible for targeted therapies. Your doctor might order a special test of your tumor called a molecular test or biomarker test. Talk to your doctor about your this type of testing and treatment recommendations, often called personalized or precision medicine. Targeted therapy drugs works in a variety different ways.
Other Emerging Treatments
Scientist looking through microscopeCancer treatments are often changing and constantly improving. The following are emerging treatments for lung cancer:
Ablation therapies: A way to destroy cells without surgery
Radiofrequency ablation
Cryotherapy
Photodynamic therapy (PDT): A special chemical is injected into the blood stream that stays in cancer cells longer than regular cells. A laser beam activates the chemical in the cancer cells and kills them.
Vaccine Therapy: Tumor cells are used to develop a vaccine and then injected into the person. The vaccine aims to make the immune system recognize the tumor as foreign and attack the cancer cells.
Many of these emerging therapies are still being tested. Talk to your doctor about these treatment options. Participating in a clinical trial may give you access to new and emerging treatment options. Talk to your doctor to learn more about participating in a clinical trial and receiving personalized, or precision, medicine.
Lung Cancer Clinical Trials
Doctor with elderly woman looking at computer screenEach time a person with lung cancer faces a treatment decision, it is important to explore all options. We recommend that you consider clinical trials as soon as you are diagnosed and every time you have to make a treatment decision.
Palliative Care
Man with outstretched hands looking to the sky Your body will go through many changes as you receive and recover from treatment for lung cancer. You may experience pain and a variety of other symptoms during this time and want to seek out palliative care.
Palliative care is…
The medical specialty focused on relieving pain, stress and other symptoms to improve your quality of life.
Care received at the same time as treatment.
Care to be discussed even before you have side effects.
A specialty that uses a variety of medications to address symptoms and discomfort.
Palliative care is NOT…
Only administered during hospice care.
A signal that treatment is not working or a replacement for treatment.
Morphine only treatment.
Something you should wait to ask for.
Palliative care is appropriate at all stages of the illness, not just during end of life care. It is perfectly okay for you to ask for palliative care. It does not signal that you are weak or complaining about your symptoms. Palliative care provides relief from a variety of physical and emotional symptoms. Tracking your symptoms can help you explain what you are feeling to your doctor who can help you get palliative care.
End-of-Life Care
Afro-American couple smiling at the camera A diagnosis of lung cancer can make patients and their caregivers think about topics they have not explored before. It is inevitable to think about death and what will happen in the future. No one can predict exactly what will happen. It is helpful to make plans for whenever that day comes.
It is important to ask your health care team what to expect in the future. Know that predicting how long someone will live is difficult. The doctor has to take into account the type of cancer, treatment, past illnesses and other factors. They may be able to provide you with an estimate, but keep in mind that it is a guess. Every person is different. Uncertainty about the future is stressful for patients and caregivers. Often, making arrangements for the future and end-of-life care gives patients and their loved ones a sense of control in the situation. It is also a time to reflect on the nice events and memories in your life.
Most patients have a specific idea of what they want their end-of-life care to be like. There may come a time when you cannot communicate your wishes. For this reason, it is important to discuss them with your family and fill out the appropriate paperwork as early as possible. The earlier you discuss what you want, the less stressful it will be for you and your family when it comes time to make decisions about your end-of-life care. Use the topics below as guidelines for important points to discuss with your doctors and caregivers.
Complementary and Alternative Therapies
What is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)?
Silhouette of a woman in a yoga stanceCAM refers to the many therapies, philosophies and practices that are not considered conventional or standard.
Complementary therapy is used with standard treatment. The combined use of these two types of treatment is called integrated medicine.
Alternative therapy is treatment used instead of conventional treatment. Most people with lung cancer, who use CAM, take the integrative medicine approach. They combine complementary therapies with their standard treatment.
Integrative medicine can be used to control pain, reduce anxiety, reduce side effects and improve quality of life. It is important to discuss participating in CAM with your doctor. You need to know that the therapies will not interfere with your standard treatment or cause side effects. You should never stop your standard treatment without consulting with your doctor. There are many different types of CAM, some of which are listed below.
