What are the main methods for treating lung cancer? What are the common symptoms of patients with advanced lung cancer?

What are the main treatments for lung cancer?

Surgery is the main method for treating lung cancer. For cases of lung cancer in stages I, II and III, surgery can be used for all patients without contraindications to surgery.

The surgical procedures for lung cancer mainly include local resection, lobectomy, sleeve lobectomy, pneumonectomy, carina resection and reconstruction. During resection, normal lung tissue should be preserved as much as possible on the basis of complete removal of the primary lesion and possible metastatic lymph nodes in the chest cavity.

(1) Local excision:

Local resection is suitable for patients with very small primary cancers, elderly and frail patients with poor lung function, or patients with well-differentiated cancers and low malignancy, and can be performed by wedge-shaped cancer block resection and lung segment resection.

(2) Lobectomy

For isolated peripheral lung cancer, limited to one lobe without obvious lymph node enlargement, lobectomy can be performed. If the cancer involves two lobes or the middle bronchus, upper middle lobe or lower middle lobe lung resection can be performed.

(3) Sleeve lobectomy

Sleeve lobectomy is mostly suitable for patients whose tumors are located in the lobar bronchus and involve the lobar bronchial opening.

(4) Pneumonectomy

When lung cancer lesions are extensive and local resection cannot remove the lesions, complete lung resection may be performed and should be carefully considered.

(5) Carina resection and reconstruction

When the tumor exceeds the main bronchus and involves the carina or tracheal side wall but does not exceed 2 cm, carina resection and reconstruction or sleeve pneumonectomy can be performed, and efforts should be made to preserve one lobe of the lung during surgery.

What are the common symptoms of patients with advanced lung cancer?

Pain is one of the common symptoms of lung cancer patients, especially those in advanced stages of the disease, and is also one of the more difficult symptoms to deal with. Psychological suggestion therapy, relaxation analgesia, physical analgesia, and transfer analgesia are four non-drug therapies for lung cancer patients’ pain, hoping to help lung cancer patients reduce the pain.

Psychological suggestion therapy

Family members or medical staff can combine various cancer treatment methods to guide patients to self-regulate, suggesting that they will be able to overcome the disease as long as they cooperate with the treatment, so as to enhance patients' confidence in overcoming the disease and courage to live.

Relaxation pain relief

Close your eyes, sigh, yawn, and then lie flat with your hips and knees bent, relax your abdominal and back muscles, and breathe slowly to block the pain response by relaxing your muscles. You can also close your eyes and breathe in and out deeply and slowly in a quiet environment to allow fresh air to enter your lungs to relieve pain.

Physical pain relief

Physical analgesia is achieved by stimulating the skin around the painful area or the corresponding healthy side. Stimulation can be done by massage or applying cooling analgesics. Temperature stimulation can also be used, that is, using a 65°C hot water bottle on a wet towel for local hot compresses for 20 minutes each time, which has a certain analgesic effect.

Transfer pain relief

Sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes, recall the interesting things in your memory, or think about anything you want to think about, 15 minutes each time, usually 2 hours after eating, and then close your eyes and sit quietly for 2 minutes. You can also read some jokes, humorous novels, or listen to crosstalk for fun, which can achieve the purpose of diverting pain.