How is lung cancer treated?
The aim of treatment for lung cancer is to cure and control the disease for a prolonged survival or manage and prevent complications.
There are 5 main treatments for lung cancer:
Surgery
Surgery involves the removal of tissues that contain the tumour and nearby lymph nodes. It may be performed as a wedge resection to remove a portion of the lung, a lobectomy to remove an entire lobe, or pneumonectomy to remove the entire lung.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells, and affects cells only in the treated area.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs to shrink or kill the cancer cells. This is usually given as an infusion. The drugs enter the bloodstream and can affect the cancer cells all over the body.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapy uses drugs to block the growth and spread of cancer cells. Like chemotherapy, they enter the bloodstream and can affect cancer cells all over the body.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses drugs to stimulate or make changes to the body’s immune system to help it identify and fight the cancer cells. As a result, in certain cancers, it has been shown to be able to control and keep things at bay for a longer period of time, compared to other treatments.
