About Lung Cancer Treatment

The World Health Organisation estimates that cancer is the cause of a staggering 13% of deaths worldwide per year. Of all the different cancer types, lung cancer is the most deadly by a significant margin (1.37 million deaths per year, with the second most deadly- stomach cancer- accounting for a much smaller 736,000).

It is important then, if you or someone you know is suffering from lung cancer, to be aware of the different treatment options available and which ones are the most effective. The appropriate treatment will always depend on the type of cancer, its stage of progression, where the cancer is within the lung and the state of the sufferer's health in general.

Lobectomy

Lobectomy is the surgical removal of one or more 'lobes' of the lung in order to get rid of the infected tissue and prevent the cancer from spreading. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of cytotoxic drugs to prevent the growth of cancers on a cellular level. Small-cell lung cancers, which occur in 12 in every 100 sufferers, tend to respond well to this treatment and it is also favoured in cases where the cancer has spread beyond the lung.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is the targeted use of radiation at the site of the cancer (in this case the lung, sometimes along with the brain depending on the risk of the cancer spreading) which is intended to kill the cancer cells. Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy uses intense cold temperatures to freeze and kill tumours within the lung, most of which are then removed (but some may be expelled naturally post-surgery). Photodynamic Therapy

PDT involves injecting the patient with a drug to make them highly sensitized to light. Later, the patient is placed under anaesthetic and a bronchoscopy is performed, during which an extremely bright light is shined onto the tumour which triggers the drug to kill the cancer cells.