Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, the World Health Organization reports. There are 1.3 million lung cancer deaths every year in the world, according to the World Health Organization.
Types
Treatment of lung cancer depends on the type of lung cancer. Lung cancers are often classified into small-cell lung cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer, according to the size of the cancer cells.
Treatment options for non-small-cell lung cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, according to UpToDate.com.
Treatment options for small-cell lung cancer mainly are radiation therapy and chemotherapy, as surgery does not improve survival of patients diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer, according to "Clinical Oncology."
Considerations
Treatment of lung cancer also depends on the stage of lung cancer. According to "Clinical Oncology," surgery is highly recommended for patients with localized non-small-cell lung cancer, but is not often recommended as the first treatment for patients with more-advanced lung cancer.
Newer Treatments
Targeted anti-cancer agents such as those targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) can be used with chemotherapy to improve survival of cancer patients, according to a study by the University of Arizona and the Arizona Cancer Center.
Side Effects
For radiation therapy, side effects include difficulty swallowing, increasing risk of rib fracture and lung inflammation. Complications of surgery may include damage to nearby organs and infection. Chemotherapy might cause low blood cell count. diarrhea, fatigue and hair loss.
Significance
Treatment of lung cancer has limited effects on survival. Only one in six patients diagnosed with lung cancer will survive more than five years, according to 2006 statistics from the National Cancer Institute.
