The treatment of lung cancer depends on stage of cancer, type of cancer and the age of the patient. Have a great effect on the choice of treatment for him for example if a person is suffering from asthma along with cancer he is not a candidate for surgery. Sometimes the side effects of the treatment are so serious that a physician prefers to treat the patient only symptomatically for example physician pays attention on pain and difficult breathing rather than on cancer itself. There are two types of lung cancer small cell and non small cell. Small cell lung cancer is often treated by chemotherapy alone or with combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgery is not performed in this type of cancer as this type of cancer always spreads beyond the boundaries of the lung. Lung cancer forms in the tissues of your lungs generally in the cells which line your air passages. Lung cancer is a very aggressive type of cancer and if not caught early enough can have a very poor outcome. Generally, lung cancers originate in the lining of the bronchi. Plus it can also form in the glands below the lining of the bronchi, usually in the periphery of the lungs. There are four recognizable stages of lung cancer. Stage one is the mildest and stages four is the most severe form. Remember though, that all stages of lung cancer are very serious. Cancers are staged depending on how far they have spread. Staging a cancer correctly is essential to select the most appropriate treatment option. A number of diagnostic tests, such as CT scans, MRIs, bronchoscopy, blood tests, bone scans, and biopsies are used to find out how far the cancer has spread. Non-small cell lung cancers, which account for about 80 percent of lung cancers, are staged using the Roman numerals 0 through IV. If a cancer is too small to be detected, it is called an occult or hidden cancer and not assigned any numeral. Stage 0 cancer, or carcinoma in situ, is limited to the lung and only involves a few layers of cells. People with a history of asbestos exposure are about seven times more likely to die from lung cancer than those who are unexposed to asbestos. Asbestos exposure is associated with all types of lung cancer, and with a rare type of cancer called malignant mesothelioma, which affects the tissue lining the lungs called the pleura. The time between exposure and development of cancer ranges from 15 to 30 years. This gap between exposure and disease may delay diagnosis until the lung cancer is advanced and less amenable to treatment. If someone with asbestos exposure also smokes, the risk of getting lung cancer increases substantially. Surgery is obviously one of the more effective treatment for removing the cancer from the body, however it all depends on how far along the cancer is. CT and PET scans are used to determine is the cancer can be removed through surgery, or if it is too far along and has spread to other areas making it harder to perform surgery. Blood tests and spirometry or lung function test. There are various options available for the treatment of lung cancer, but you will need to discuss these options carefully with your doctors and family before making a decision on the treatment method. Please bear in mind that the earlier the cancer is treated, the better will be your prognosis from this deadly disease.
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