How is lung cancer treated?

Written by Gong Chun

Oncology

Updated on September 22, 2024

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For the treatment of lung cancer, it should currently be based on a comprehensive treatment method tailored to the patient's age, specific condition, nutritional status, economic condition, and the capabilities available at the hospital. It is particularly related to the stage of the disease and the type identified in the tissue biopsy. Currently, lung cancer primarily adopts a multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment approach spearheaded by surgical intervention. Surgical treatment is the preferred method for lung cancer, but since it is a systemic disease, surgery alone cannot completely address the issue. Therefore, it must be combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other treatments in a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach. Additionally, immunotherapy and targeted therapy are inseparable and crucial parts of integrated treatment strategies for lung cancer. If the disease is staged and involves adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, surgical treatment is recommended followed by adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or targeted and immunotherapy. If surgery is not possible, some supportive treatments can be considered. For small-cell lung cancer, surgery is not recommended because it offers no benefit; instead, a combined approach of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is advised.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei

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How to treat dry cough caused by lung cancer?

Dry cough is a very common symptom in clinical practice, caused by many factors which are also very complex. Some patients might clearly have lung cancer. Due to the presence of lung cancer lesions, patients can experience irritating dry cough as well as symptoms like hemoptysis, chest pain, and chest tightness. It is possible that some patients do not exhibit symptoms of dry cough, perhaps due to other causes. Therefore, for dry cough, we need to identify if it is caused by lung cancer, as it often requires surgical treatment to control the symptoms. Some patients with minor lung cancer who experience dry cough might be able to control it with appropriate medications. However, to effectively control symptoms of dry cough caused by lung cancer, surgical removal is generally necessary and is the ultimate treatment plan.

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Written by Liu Liang

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Is lung cancer contagious?

The occurrence of lung cancer is associated with smoking, air pollution, and working in environments such as coal mining. However, lung cancer is not contagious. Therefore, in clinical settings, family members of patients often ask doctors whether lung cancer can be transmitted through the respiratory tract. It can be assured that lung cancer is not contagious; only communicable diseases like tuberculosis can be spread this way.

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Written by Gong Chun

Oncology

1min 13sec

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What tests are conducted for lung cancer?

Diagnosis of Lung Cancer: The first method can be through chest X-ray and CT scan; The second is sputum cytology examination; The third involves using a bronchoscopy; The fourth is mediastinoscopy, which allows direct observation of the enlargement of lymph nodes on both sides of the mediastinum; The fifth is to perform PET-CT, which is Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography; The sixth requires a biopsy; it can be done through a transthoracic needle biopsy, or via a bronchoscopic biopsy; The seventh is the biopsy of metastatic lesions, such as subclavian lymph nodes, and lymph node metastases in the neck or axillary areas can be examined; The eighth can involve drawing cancerous pleural effusion; if there is pleural effusion, pleural fluid cytology examination can be performed; The ninth method is thoracotomy exploration; if lung nodules or lung tumors cannot be definitively diagnosed through various other methods, thoracotomy exploration can be performed.

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Written by Gong Chun

Oncology

1min 13sec

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Early symptoms of lung cancer

Early-stage lung cancer, especially peripheral lung cancer, often has no symptoms and is mostly found during chest X-rays or CT scans. The clinical symptoms of lung cancer are closely related to the location, size, pathological type of the tumor, whether it compresses or invades adjacent organs, and whether there is metastasis. The symptoms of lung cancer generally include: First, some symptoms of the primary tumor growing locally, including cough, hemoptysis, difficulty breathing, and chest pain. When the tumor grows inside a larger bronchus, it might cause some irritative coughing. Second, as the tumor continues to grow and affects the drainage of the bronchi, it may lead to secondary lung infections, presenting with symptoms such as cough and purulent sputum. Third, there might be bloody sputum streaked with blood or intermittent minor hemoptysis, though significant hemoptysis is very rare.

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Written by Gong Chun

Oncology

55sec

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How long can one live with lung cancer?

The survival period of malignant tumors is a topic of great concern to everyone. The question of how long one can live with lung cancer is very difficult to answer. It should be based on the patient's physical condition and the pathological staging. However, these judgments are only based on a predictive basis and do not determine how long the patient can live. If the patient does not relapse after surgery, is sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and shows no signs of recurrence or resistance, then their five-year survival rate is naturally higher. If the patient experiences recurrence and metastasis after surgery, then the five-year survival rate is naturally lower. Therefore, the question of how long a person can live with a malignant tumor cannot be answered generically.