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Lung Cancer Treatment

Treating lung cancer, especially if it has been induced by asbestos exposure, can be a very difficult task for physicians. Lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure can carry a severe latency period, often resulting in a diagnosis during the advanced stages of development. If this occurs, finding effective treatment options may be challenging. It is safe to say that the type and stage of lung cancer will heavily determine to kind of treatment a patient receives.

Treatment Options

In addition to the type and stage of lung cancer, symptoms and overall health of a patient will play a role in deciding what treatment method will be used. The three most common forms of treatment for lung cancer include:

• Surgery – A surgical procedure for lung cancer will attempt to remove any malignant tumors or nearby lymph nodes. If a patient’s lung cancer is diagnosed during stage 1 or 2 of development, surgery can offer the greatest chance for survival. This kind of procedure may be performed before or after chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
• Chemotherapy – This form of treatment involves the use of medications to either kill cancerous cells, stop their reproduction or slow their growth. Most chemotherapy drugs are administered intravenously while some can be taken orally. The side effects of chemotherapy will vary from patient to patient.
• Radiation Therapy – This kind of therapy, also known as radiotherapy, uses high energy rays to kill or shrink cancerous cells. The amount of radiation therapy a patient receives will depend on their response to the treatment and the extent of the tumors.

Treating Asbestos-Related Cancer

Treatment for lung cancer is designed to improve survival and relieve symptoms. If a person has been exposed to asbestos and is also a smoker, their chances of developing lung cancer increase significantly. Pleural mesothelioma is another asbestos-related lung cancer that may be difficult to treat. Like treatments for lung cancer, common therapies for pleural mesothelioma patients include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The combination of all three of these treatments, known as multimodality therapy, is often recommended for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma.

Sources

1. http://www.lungcancer.org/reading/treatment/treatment.php
2. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lung-cancer/DS00038/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs