When choosing a form of treatment for lung cancer, the doctors treating the patient take the patient's individual situation very much into account. The decisive factors in the situation analysis are
Small cell carcinomas, for example, usually respond better to chemotherapy than non-small cell carcinomas. The latter are usually treated in stages I and II, preferably by surgery.
Image of lung cancer cells under the microscope © Kateryna_Kon | AdobeStock
Surgical removal of tumors is the treatment of choice, especially for non-small cell carcinomas. The aim of the procedure is to completely remove the lung tumor.
However, if the tumor has already grown into adjacent organs or has metastasized, surgery is often no longer possible. The patient must also be in a sufficiently good state of health.
Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs that slow down cell division. This inhibits the growth of the tumor. These drugs are called cytostatics and can reach cells throughout the body via the blood.
Chemotherapy plays the biggest role in small cell lung cancer. It can lead to a cure at an early stage of the disease.
Chemotherapy is often used in addition to surgery. It can then shrink the tumor in advance or fight tumor remnants that cannot be removed after surgery.
Chemotherapy can also be used palliatively. If the tumor is inoperable or if there are already distant metastases, a cure is no longer possible. Chemotherapy then alleviates the symptoms and improves the patient's quality of life. The aim is also to prolong the patient's life.
In radiotherapy, doctors target high-energy radiation at the tumor. The radiation damages the tumor's DNA and causes the cancer cells to die. It is mainly used in two cases:
Nowadays, a linear accelerator is used for radiotherapy. This has significantly fewer side effects than the previously used cobalt radiation source.
Conventionally, radiation is delivered from outside the body through the skin. In contrast, there is also internal radiation therapy, also known as brachytherapy. Here, the radiation source is brought directly to the tumor.
This radiation treatment can be used for lung cancer if the tumor threatens to constrict the airways.
Simultaneous treatment via chemotherapy and radiotherapy ensures better control of the tumor. However, this type of treatment should only be carried out on an inpatient basis due to the increased side effects.
Radiochemotherapy is often more effective than radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone.
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