What are the most effective methods to treat lung cancer? Lung cancer patients should pay attention to these two things in their daily lives

What are the treatments for lung cancer?

The mortality and incidence of lung cancer are both the second highest in the world, and the incidence and mortality of lung cancer in men are the highest among all malignant tumors in the world. What a terrible number! Although the cause of lung cancer is not very clear, data show that the probability of long-term heavy smokers suffering from lung cancer is ten to twenty times that of normal people, and air pollution is also an important cause of lung cancer. So how to treat lung cancer? There are three major methods for lung cancer treatment.

1. Surgical treatment of lung cancer

Surgical treatment is mainly suitable for a small number of patients, such as refractory pleural and pericardial effusions. Removal of part of the pericardium and pleura can help patients prolong their lives and make them live more easily. Surgical treatment is a basic means of treating lung cancer. Surgical treatment can remove cancerous tissue more thoroughly, remove early tumors, and achieve the purpose of clinical cure. Surgery removes a lot of cancerous tissue, which can pave the way for later radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Surgical treatment of lung cancer can also reduce the occurrence of some complications and relieve the pain of patients.

Surgical treatment is suitable for the following patients: patients with early and middle stage lung cancer, stage IIIb lung cancer (selective part of the lung remaining in one side of the chest cavity), stage IIIa lung cancer, and patients with isolated non-small cell lung cancer.

2. Chemotherapy for lung cancer

Chemotherapy is the main method for treating lung cancer. There are two types of chemotherapy: therapeutic chemotherapy and auxiliary chemotherapy. The choice of treatment method and chemical drug should be based on the type of cancer, because these chemicals can not only kill cancer cells, but also kill normal cells in the human body, and chemotherapy also inhibits the bone marrow hematopoietic system. At this time, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and platelet-stimulating factor should be used to solve this problem. Now, it does not mean that radiotherapy can only be used to treat lung cancer in the late stage. About 90% of lung cancer patients need to receive chemotherapy, which can cure small cell lung cancer and delay non-small cell lung cancer.

3. Radiotherapy for lung cancer

The types of lung cancer that are treated with radiotherapy are small cell lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma. Radiotherapy is divided into palliative treatment, radical treatment, intracavitary radiotherapy, etc. Radiotherapy can also cause some complications, such as esophagitis, pneumonia and other inflammations.

Treatments for lung cancer

1. Palliative radiotherapy

For patients with superior vena cava compression and distant metastasis caused by lung cancer, radiotherapy is the best palliative treatment, which can relieve clinical symptoms, reduce pain and improve the quality of life. In radiotherapy, only the compressed superior vena cava or the primary tumor is irradiated, and dehydrating agents are used at the same time as radiotherapy.

Brain metastases are usually treated with whole-brain irradiation, followed by a small field to increase the dose to a single metastatic lesion. Dehydrating agents are also required during radiotherapy.

For single bone metastases far from important organs, a single high-dose irradiation is generally more effective in relieving pain. Multiple bone metastases can be treated with radionuclide internal radiation plus local external radiotherapy.

2. Intrabronchial brachytherapy

Intracavitary radiotherapy uses a computer-controlled after-loading brachytherapy machine to place a high-dose rate radiation source (1mm in diameter) directly into the trachea and bronchial cavity for close-range irradiation. Its advantage is that the irradiation range is relatively limited, with a diameter of only 2-3cm. Outside this range, the radiation dose drops sharply, which is beneficial to the protection of normal lungs around the tumor.

Precautions

1. Lung cancer patients need to undergo a routine blood test before radiotherapy. If the results are within the normal range, radiotherapy can be started. Remember to check blood count at least once a week.

2. Radiation pneumonia may occur during radiotherapy and within 1 month after radiotherapy. Acute radiation pneumonia is accompanied by high fever, chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, etc. Colds and upper respiratory tract infections are its causes, so you should keep warm and prevent colds, especially in winter.

Although it will take some time to finally elucidate the cause of gastric cancer, based on existing research it is possible to propose several major preventive measures to minimize the harm of gastric cancer to humans.