What are the side effects of chemotherapy for lung cancer? Lung cancer patients must know these 4 questions

Lung cancer has the highest morbidity and mortality rate among all malignant tumors, but it is also preventable and treatable. Therefore, after suffering from lung cancer, it is important to understand some issues related to lung cancer, which will be of great help for future treatment and can encourage patients to treat the disease rationally and choose the correct treatment method.

What issues should lung cancer patients clarify?

1. Stages of lung cancer

Cancer cells will metastasize and spread through the lymph and blood systems. Lung cancer can be staged according to the degree of spread of cancer cells, and the most appropriate treatment plan can be developed based on the specific situation. Generally, for early lung cancer, after standardized treatment, the 5-year survival rate can reach more than 90%. However, if it has reached the late stage and has spread and metastasized, the patient needs to receive comprehensive treatment to appropriately prolong life.

2. Treatment of lung cancer

The cure rate of early lung cancer is relatively high, especially for carcinoma in situ. If it can be treated in the early stage, the cure rate can reach more than 95%. Cancer patients should receive different treatments according to the type of lung cancer they suffer from. For example, if they suffer from small cell lung cancer, they can choose chemotherapy and chemotherapy. If they suffer from non-small cell lung cancer and are in the early and middle stages, surgery is recommended as the main treatment. In addition, there are many other methods for the treatment of lung cancer, such as targeted therapy, immunotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine treatment.

3. Preparation before treatment

The treatment of lung cancer is a very long process, so you need to make adequate preparations before treatment, such as nursing, psychology, and economy. After determining the treatment plan, make preoperative preparations according to the doctor's advice. For example, patients who are preparing for surgery should quit smoking for at least two weeks. Patients who are taking anticoagulants should follow the doctor's advice to decide whether to stop taking the medicine. If you decide to treat it with chemotherapy, you need to complete the hematology and heart function examinations, and supplement vitamin B12 and folic acid if necessary.

4. Understand the possible side effects of treatment

While chemotherapy kills cancer cells, it also damages normal cells, so there may be a variety of side effects, such as hair loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, etc. Radiotherapy can also cause some side effects, such as general fatigue, pigmentation, nausea and headache. Targeted therapy may cause diarrhea, abnormal liver and kidney function and rash. These side effects are normal. If the discomfort is more severe, you should follow the doctor's instructions and receive targeted treatment.

Kind tips

If all the uncomfortable symptoms disappear after systematic treatment, you cannot relax and must follow up regularly. Generally, you should have a check-up every three months in the first year after the end of treatment, every six months after one year, and once a year after three years. If there is no recurrence or metastasis within five years, it means that you have been clinically cured.