Lung cancer is cancer that originates in the tissues of the lungs, typically in the cells that line the air passages, according to the National Cancer Institute. There are two types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer, which are classified according to how the cells appear. Treatment usually depends on the type of lung cancer, the extent of disease, and the overall health of the patient.
Significance
The National Cancer Institute estimates that in 2009, approximately 219,440 individuals in the United States were diagnosed with lung cancer; this number includes both non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, and small cell lung cancer, also known as SCLC. That same year in the United States, 159,390 people died from the disease.
Types
Standard types of treatment include surgery to remove the tumor and depending on the extent of the cancer, part or all of a lung or bronchus; external radiation therapy, in which high energy rays are aimed at the cancerous area to kill cancer cells; watchful waiting; and chemotherapy. Newer treatments that the National Cancer Institute lists are laser therapy, in which a laser beam is aimed at the tumor to kill cancer cells; photodynamic therapy that uses a medication and a special kind of laser light to kill cancer cells; and cryosurgery, involving freezing and destroying abnormal tissue.
Effects
Side effects from lung cancer treatment, according to the American Cancer Society, can include pain from surgery; skin changes similar to a sunburn, as well as nausea and difficulty breathing, from radiation; hair loss, vomiting, fatigue and loss of appetite from chemotherapy; and light sensitivity from photodynamic therapy. Side effects can vary from person to person, and not everyone will have all the possible side effects. Many side effects from different treatments tend to subside once treatment has ended.
Clinical Trials
Another treatment option that may be beneficial to some individuals with lung cancer includes clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies using new or different treatments that are closely monitored. There is usually some inclusion criteria, depending on the study, and not everyone may be eligible to participate. Individuals can leave the study at any time with no adverse impact on their cancer treatment. Talking to a health care provider about whether a clinical trial is appropriate is another option for individuals with lung cancer.
Time Frame
Although lung cancer may be treated with a variety of options, survival rates are fairly low, even for early stage lung cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, for non-small cell lung cancer, the five-year survival rate for Stage IA is 49 percent; for Stage IB, it is 45 percent; Stage IIA, 30 percent; Stage IIB, 31 percent; Stage IIIA, 14 percent; Stage IIIB, five percent; and Stage IV, one percent. The American Cancer Society also lists the five-year survival rates for small cell lung cancer: Stage I, 31 percent; Stage II, 19 percent; Stage III, eight percent; and Stage IV, two percent.
