Lung cancer occurs when cells in one or both lungs become abnormal and grow without control and form a tumor. The overgrowth of abnormal cells can begin anywhere in the lungs with consequential reduction of the lung capacity or blockage of the movement of air. Furthermore, some lung tumor cells exhibit specificity for growth in different regions. For example, lung cancer often metastasizes to the brain or bones. In the United States, approximately 170,000 lung cancer cases are reported each year, according to A.P. John Institute for Cancer Research. (See References 2)
Surgery
Surgery is usually performed in early stages of lung cancer when the tumors are confined to the lungs only. (See References 2) During lung cancer surgery, also called thoracotomy, the thoracic surgeon makes a skin incision on the anterior chest wall to eliminate a small, wedge-shaped piece of lung that contains cancer cells as well as a margin of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. However, lung cancer surgery increases the risk of lung bleeding and infection, according to MayoClinic.com. (See References 1)
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer, or cytotoxic, drugs to kill cancer cells. It can be used as first-line therapy in patients with early-stage of lung cancer, who possibly could not tolerate post-surgical complications. (See References 2) Chemo drugs work by disrupting the cell cycle of cancer cells. This results in cell lysis. These drugs travel in the blood stream, and once they reach the cancer cells, they act to retard their growth, eventually resulting in their destruction. (See References 3)
Radiation Therapy
Lung cancer patients usually receive radiation therapy alone or with surgery or other treatments, according to MayoClinic.Com. Sometimes its administered with chemotherapy for the relief of symptoms. (See References 1) Radiation, or radiotherapy, uses high-energy radiation such as X-rays or gamma rays to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. Beams of radiation are directed to the area where the tumor is located, and they injure the cancer DNA beyond repair, eventually resulting in their growth arrest or cell death. (See References 2)
