Misunderstandings in the Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer

What are the misunderstandings in the treatment of small cell lung cancer? The targeted therapy that has become popular in recent years has provided doctors with new ideas and treatment methods, but it should be emphasized that no drug can be deified, and drugs cannot be suitable for all patients. Today we will take a look at the misunderstandings in the treatment of small cell lung cancer:

Myth 1: Small lesions mean early lung cancer. Many patients think that small lesions mean early lung cancer during initial examinations. In fact, some lung cancers are more likely to metastasize, such as small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma of the lung, etc. Cancer cells are prone to metastasize to the head, liver, bones and other parts. Although the lesions are very small, they metastasize in large numbers. This is already mid-to-late stage lung cancer, which is called small lesions and large metastases, and is very dangerous. In comparison, squamous cell carcinoma is less metastatic. Therefore, the stage of lung cancer cannot be determined by the size of the lesion.

Myth 2: Chinese and Western medicine are incompatible. Some patients believe that Western anti-tumor drugs are highly toxic and harmful to the human body, while Chinese medicine has few side effects, so they reject Western medicine. Some patients believe that Chinese medicine treatment is completely ineffective and is just for psychological comfort. In fact, people have a biased understanding. On the basis of Western medicine surgery and drug treatment, Chinese medicine should be combined with strengthening the body, regulating body functions and immunity, etc., which often has unexpected gains in treatment effects.

Myth 3: Never disclose the patient's condition. As long as lung cancer is treated properly, it is possible for the patient to survive for a long time or even be cured. Experts recommend that, with the consent of the patient's family, the patient should be told openly about the condition and informed that lung cancer is curable. After a brief panic, most patients can quickly calm down and face it positively, pushing the treatment in a positive direction. For those patients who are kept in the dark, it is difficult for doctors and patients to establish trust. The patient either refuses to cooperate with the treatment or makes random guesses about his or her condition, which leads to serious psychological problems, which is ultimately not conducive to treatment.

Myth 4: Is chemotherapy necessary? In fact, chemotherapy is an important part of the comprehensive treatment of lung cancer. Evidence-based medicine has proven that it is superior to the best supportive treatment for advanced lung cancer. The effect depends on how it is used. The optimization of chemotherapy should be based on comprehensive diagnosis. Some patients are diagnosed early and can choose surgery first, without chemotherapy at all; some patients need chemotherapy first to create an opportunity for surgery; some patients need additional chemotherapy after surgery to consolidate the effect. The specific conditions of patients vary, and the application and specific implementation plan of chemotherapy are also varied. With the development of molecular target diagnosis technology, by molecular typing of lung cancer, screening of mutated lung cancer genes, and selecting more effective chemotherapy drugs, the traditional so-called "accompanying chemotherapy" of nearly 70% ineffective can be avoided to a certain extent, thereby achieving twice the result with half the effort. Its application should follow a strict scope of application, that is, the patient must have "targets for molecular targeted drugs" in the body through molecular biological detection, so that the drug can work.