Lung cancer accounts for roughly 160,000 annual deaths in the United States, according to the book "Clinical Oncology." It kills more people than colorectal, breast and prostate cancers combined. There are two major types of lung cancer, classified according to the size and the appearance of cancer cells, namely, non-small-cell and small-cell lung carcinomas. Treatment of lung cancer depends on the type of lung cancer cell and the stage of lung cancer at the time of diagnosis.
Treatment Types
The usual treatment options for non-small-cell lung cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. According to uptodate.com, the usual treatments for small-cell lung cancer are radiation therapy and chemotherapy, as only 10 percent of patients would benefit from surgery for this type of lung cancer.
Considerations
Treatment for lung cancer depends strongly on stage of lung cancer at diagnosis. For instance, according to "Clinical Oncology," surgery offers patients with localized non-small-cell lung cancer (stage I and II lung cancers) the best chance for cure. On the other hand, surgery is not often recommended as the first treatment for patients with more advanced lung cancer (stage III and IV). Various treatment options can also be combined to maximize their therapeutic effects. For instance, according to uptodate.com, radiation therapy is often combined with chemotherapy for patients with limited small-cell lung cancer.
Newer Treatments
Treatments for lung cancer based on targeted agents have become popular recently. For instance, according to a 2008 review published in the New England Journal of Medicine, agents targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have become a standard treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and are often with combined with chemotherapy.
Side Effects
Side effects of radiation therapy include difficulty swallowing, rib fracture and lung inflammation, according to "Clinical Oncology." Side effects of surgery include infection, damage to nearby organs and other risks associated with surgical operation, as reported in "Clinical Oncology." According to cancerhelp.org.uk, side effects of chemotherapy include diarrhea, fatigue, hair loss and low blood cell count.
Significance
Despite the availability of different treatment modalities, lung cancer remains a lethal disease. According to the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is roughly 15 percent, and 80 to 90 percent of patients diagnosed with lung cancer will die of the disease.
