Non small cell lung cancer or NSCLC is differentiated into three different types: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. In case of squamous cell carcinoma, the cancer cells are found in the middle of the lungs, in case of adenocarcinoma, the cancerous cells are found in the outer parts of the lungs, and in case of large cell carcinoma, the cancer cells are found in any part of the lung. The large cell carcinoma cancerous cells are fast growing and hence easily spread to the other parts of the body.

Smoking is one of the main causes of lung cancer. The more you smoke, higher is your risk of getting lung cancer. Apart from this, marijuana smoking, exposure to high levels of air pollution and working with asbestos, chloride or formaldehyde products, or other paints, pigments and alloys also increase the risk of lung cancer for the person.

The symptoms of non small cell lung cancer include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, cough that does not get cured easily, sometimes coughing with blood, difficulty in swallowing food, joint pain, hoarseness in voice, drooping of eyelid, bone pain, shoulder pain, weakness, loss of appetite and weight loss. The diagnosis for non small cell lung cancer includes sputum test, bone scan, chest x-ray, CT scan, MRI scan, PET scan, pleural biopsy, bronchoscopy with biopsy, mediastinoscopy with biopsy and open lung biopsy. The options of treatment for non small cell lung cancer are almost similar to the options of treatment for small cell lung cancer. Only there is one addition of targeted therapy, which is generally not prescribed in cases of small cell lung cancer. Below we discuss the options of treatment for non small cell lung cancer.

Surgery for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment

In surgery either a part of the lung or the whole lung is removed to relieve the patient from non small cell lung cancer. The most common methods of treatment for lung cancer of this type is by doing segmentectomy, where a part of the lung is removed or through lobectomy where the affected lobe is removed. In cases where the cancerous cells have spread throughout the lung, pneumonectomy is done, where the whole lung is removed. In these cases, the nearby lymph nodes are also removed by the oncologist. Surgery can be combined with radiation therapy or chemotherapy to shrink these cancerous cells. But if it is combined then the sessions of radiation therapy or chemotherapy are given before the planned surgery.

Radiation Therapy for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment

Radiation therapy makes the use of high energy x-rays or other radiations to cure lung cancer. External radiation therapy is the commonly opted method of treatment for cancer of this type. These high energy radiations can be given in combination with chemotherapy or surgery, to relieve the patient quickly.

Chemotherapy for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy is mostly given before surgery to shrink the size of the cancerous cells. It can also be given as the main method of treatment for non small cell lung cancer, for the patients who do not wish to undergo surgery, or their body condition is not that strong to handle surgery. It is given through a combination of different drugs. These drugs can be in the form of pills or injections. Some of the commonly used drug combinations are vinblastine, carboplatin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, gemcitabine, docetaxel and / or etoposide.

Targeted Therapy for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment

In some cases, the patient’s body does not respond to the chemotherapy cycles. In these cases, targeted therapy is given to the patients. This therapy blocks the functioning of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that supplies the required fuel to the cancerous cells. As the functioning of this protein is blocked, the cancerous cells do not get their regular fuel, and hence stop to function and eventually die. In come cases, the development of blood vessels supplying blood to these cancerous cells is blocked. Erbitux and Iressa are mostly prescribed to block the functioning of EGFR protein, while avastin is given to block the development or functioning of the blood vessels.

Non small cell lung cancer is curable and the treatment methods are also not that aggressive. If the patient quits smoking, follows the prescribed medicine routine, exercises regularly and follows a healthy diet, his body will respond quickly to the proposed treatment.