In patients that have advanced non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, the condition is very hard to cure. This is because, at this stage, the cancer has spread out to distant spots in the body. The patient’s treatment options will depend on several factors, including where the cancer has spread, how many tumors there are, and the overall health of the patient. Thankfully, there are a variety of advanced NSCLC treatments to choose from.
Common Advanced NSCLC Treatments
Patients who are in relatively good health may be able to receive surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or radiation therapy. All of these treatment options help the patient live longer. These advanced NSCLC treatments will also help to relieve some of the patient’s symptoms. However, none of these treatment options are cures.
There are a few other treatment options that may also help to relieve the symptoms of NSCLC. These include photodynamic therapy, known as PDT, and laser therapy.
It is important for patients to understand the goals of their treatment before they get started on the treatment course. Whatever advanced NSCLC treatments the doctor recommends, the patient needs to agree with and feel comfortable with before taking part in it. Doctors will sometimes have differing opinions about what the best course of treatment would be for a patient. This is why going to get a second opinion is a good idea before starting any treatment regime.
When and if the cancer spreads from the lungs to another area of the body, the treatment option may need to change. Cancer that has spread to only one other spot can be treated with surgery or with radiation therapy. Most often, the cancer in the other part of the body will be dealt with first, before moving to the cancer in the lungs.
When the cancer has spread to multiple places in the body, the tumours will be tested for common gene mutations. Depending on the results of these tests, a targeted therapy drug may be used to treat the tumour.
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