Lung cancer treatment

Lung cancer is a malignant disease that manifests itself as a tumor developing from epithelial cells of the respiratory system. It can be either primary or secondary – a metastasis of cancer from another location.

In the early stages, the disease develops almost asymptomatically. Severe cough and shortness of breath, which are the main manifestations of lung cancer, occur as the tumor grows. As a result, in many patients, the disease is detected at a late stage, when therapy is less effective. With early diagnosis, it is successfully treated.

At Oxford Medical, lung cancer is treated by oncologists with many years of experience. The clinic has installed new diagnostic equipment, operates a high-tech surgical hospital, and has all the conditions for chemotherapy, targeted and immune therapy.

Lung cancer develops mainly in older people. Among patients, people under 40 years old make up only 10%, those aged 46 to 60 years old – 52%, and after 65 years old – 38%.

The main risk factors are:

• smoking, including passive;
• contact with carcinogens;
• inhalation of harmful fumes;
• genetic predisposition;
• viral diseases;
• chronic lung diseases;
• radiation exposure;
• scarring in the lungs;
• unfavorable environmental environment;
• age over 45 years.

Primary lung cancer is divided into 2 categories:

• small cell cancer - develops from neuroendocrine cells of the lungs, has a tendency to grow rapidly and spread throughout the body, is often associated with long-term smoking (diagnosed in 15-20% of patients);
• non-small cell cancer - includes three types of tumors that differ in histological principle: adenocarcinoma, squamous cell and large cell cancer, which develop slowly and are better treated (diagnosed in almost 80% of patients).

In rare cases, other types of lung cancer are also detected, including spindle cell cancer, diffuse idiopathic pulmonary hyperplasia, etc.

Depending on the localization of the tumor, they are distinguished:

• central;
• peripheral lung cancer.

In the direction of tumor growth, lung cancer is:

• endobronchial - grows into the lumen of the bronchus;
• exobronchial – grows in the lung tissue;
• branched – with periorbital sleeve-like growth around the bronchi;
• mixed – develops in several directions.

In general, 10% of patients are diagnosed with lung cancer at an early stage. Most often, this happens when undergoing fluorography for preventive purposes. In other cases, the disease is detected at stage 2 - in 20-35% of patients, at stage 3 - in 50-75%, at stage 4 - in 10%.

Visualization of neoplasms is possible with such studies as fluorography, lung ultrasound, CT and MRI. After that, to confirm the diagnosis and determine the type of cancer, a biopsy is performed - a tissue sample is taken for histological and immunochemical analysis. Other examinations are needed to clarify the stage of cancer, detect metastases or the primary tumor and assess the patient's general health.

Diagnostics for lung cancer may include:

• CT of the chest;
• bronchoscopy - endoscopic examination;
• transthoracic puncture biopsy;
• pleural puncture;
• blood tests;
• analysis of sputum secreted from the respiratory tract;
• Ultrasound or CT scan of the supraclavicular regions, abdominal cavity, retroperitoneal space and other areas of the body.

The doctor determines the scope of the studies individually, taking into account the patient's symptoms and medical history.

Oxford Medical has created all the conditions for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of lung cancer. The clinic employs oncologists and surgeons with many years of experience, who are rightfully considered among the best in Kyiv and Ukraine. Examinations are performed using new equipment from the best brands, and surgical treatment is performed in a high-tech surgical hospital with its own intensive care unit and intensive care unit.

To make an appointment for a consultation, call our contact center or write to the chat on the website.

The treatment program for lung cancer depends on the stage of the disease, the type of cancer, the patient's age and other individual characteristics.

As a rule, it consists of a combination of:

• surgical treatment;
• radiation therapy;
• chemotherapy;
• immunotherapy;
• targeted therapy.

Surgical treatment is the most effective, but it is used only in the early stages of the disease. Operations are performed both minimally invasively and classically through a longitudinal incision in the sternum.

Depending on the size of the neoplasm, the following are performed:

• segmental or wedge resection - removal of a small part of the lung;
• lobectomy - removal of an entire lobe of the lung;
• pneumonectomy - removal of the entire lung;
• bronchial resection - removal of part of the bronchus with subsequent connection of the lung with the remaining part of the organ.

After surgery, patients are usually prescribed radiation or chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence. Sometimes they are prescribed before surgery to reduce the tumor and perform a radical operation.

In inoperable tumors, radiation and chemotherapy are used as the main method of treatment.

Radiation therapy is the irradiation of the affected lung with radiation energy, which leads to a slowdown in tumor growth and destruction of its tissues. In some cases, it is carried out in combination with chemotherapy or alternately with it.

Chemotherapy has a systemic effect on the entire body, which makes it effective in the treatment of metastases and in the prevention of relapse if malignant cells remain after surgery. It is carried out with cytostatic drugs - they block cell division, and cytotoxic drugs - they cause their destruction.

Targeted therapy is also used for some forms of non-small cell cancer. It works like chemotherapy, only it is carried out with drugs that affect certain parts of cancer cells or nearby cells that provide them with nutrition and development.

Immunotherapy for lung cancer is used quite rarely. This is an innovative technique that involves activating the body's defenses to independently fight cancer cells.

At Oxford Medical, lung cancer treatment is carried out by experienced oncologists. For each patient, they draw up an individual therapy program based on state and international protocols, including the use of new treatment methods with proven effectiveness.