| Combination chemotherapy is usually the treatment of choice for individuals with SCLC because of rapid growth, tendency to metastasize, and sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Most individuals with SCLC have cancer that has spread extensively by the time of diagnosis and are not candidates for surgery. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may also be used to relieve disease symptoms (palliative treatment) in individuals with SCLC.
Individuals with NSCLC that has not metastasized out of the lung are candidates for surgical removal of the diseased lobe (lobectomy) or the entire lung (pneumonectomy) and the surrounding lymph nodes (lymphadenectomy). A smaller segment of the lung may be removed if the individual cannot tolerate a lobectomy; however, complete removal of all tumorous tissue is usually the goal of surgery. High-energy, radioactive particles (radiation therapy) may be used for treatment of NSCLC when surgery is not an option. If the cancer has spread to other organs, treatment with one or more anticancer drugs (combination chemotherapy) may be used in addition to radiation and/or surgical treatment.
Other medications for individuals with either NSCLC or SCLC include drugs to reduce airway obstruction (bronchodilators) and antibiotics to treat infection. Pain relief (analgesic) therapy may be necessary following surgery and for advanced lung cancers. |
Source: Medical Disability Advisor