Treatment methods and principles for lung cancer

The main treatments for lung cancer include surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine and immunotherapy. Although most lung cancer patients have lost the opportunity for surgery when they are diagnosed, surgery is still the most important and effective treatment for lung cancer. However, the effects of all the various methods for treating lung cancer are not satisfactory at present, and they must be appropriately combined for comprehensive treatment to improve the treatment effect of lung cancer. The specific treatment plan should be decided after careful and detailed comprehensive analysis based on the stage of lung cancer, TNM classification, pathological cell type, patient's cardiopulmonary function, general condition and other related factors.

There are great differences in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Generally speaking, non-small cell lung cancer with small lesions confined to the bronchi and lungs and without distant metastasis is treated with surgery when the patient is in good physical condition. After surgery, the comprehensive use of chemotherapy or other treatments is determined based on the findings during surgery, pathological type, degree of cell differentiation, lymph node metastasis, etc.

Small cell lung cancer often metastasizes to distant sites at an early stage and is difficult to cure through surgery. Chemoradiotherapy is the main treatment method, and treatment modes such as chemotherapy-surgery-chemotherapy, chemotherapy-radiotherapy-surgery-chemotherapy, and chemotherapy-radiotherapy-chemotherapy can be adopted. Some patients can also receive additional active comprehensive treatments such as preventive whole-brain irradiation to improve the treatment effect.