Lung Cancer Clinical Trials

Posts Tagged ‘Chemotherapy’

Unlike other forms of lung cancer, metastatic lung cancer is the result of a cancer from another part of the body spreading to the lungs. When a malignancy develops in the body (most often in the breasts, colon, prostate, or bladder, though almost all cancers have the ability to spread) it can sometimes spread through the blood stream. When these malignancies settle into the pulmonary tissues, such as the alveoli (the final vein-like branches of the respiratory system) and the supporting tissues of the respiratory structures, the cancer has metastasized to the lungs.Unfortunately, treating metastatic lung cancer presents significant challenges. Since the cancer has spread from another part of the body, treatment not only involves addressing the cancer in the lungs, but also the original cancer and any other areas of the body that may have also become affected. In some cases, if the primary tumor is successfully removed and if the spread of the tumor cells to the pulmonary regions is relatively localized, then the management of the cancer by surgical techniques may do the job. However, if the metastatic lung cancer is extensive, because so many areas of the body may be under the influence of the cancer, ... [more..]

One of the more confusing words we employ when talking about lung cancer is the word "inoperable." For those of us in medicine, it assists us leave individuals in a category. Inoperable indicates that surgery is not the suggested treatment. However, sitting as a patient on the other side of the table, these words can sound completely different. They can sound as a frightening synonym to terminal.Medically inoperable lung cancer can be both scary and frustrating to treat, seeing that the surgical treatment alternative is unavailable. Patients are inoperable when they suffer from other medical conditions like pre-existing disease of lung, the disease of chronic obstructive pulmonary, or the disease of heart. These other conditions impede treatment by surgery on account of the risk for complications like respiratory and heart failure, or even death.Instead, medically inoperable lung cancer patients have turned to a variety of treatment alternatives that are painful and invasive, and damaging to the body which attack the cancer largely, exposing both cancerous and healthy tissue to radiation. The several other treatment alternatives include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapies, and clinical trials.Photodynamic therapy (PDT) frequently is utilized to treat inoperable lung cancer. It involves the injection of a ... [more..]

Cancer is uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs could be indicative of lung cancer. These abnormal cells have a tendency to grow but do not develop into healthy tissue of lungs. Research has shown that 87% of lung cancer is related to smoking. Risks are considerably reduced if the person quits smoking.Extent to which cancer has spread is categorized as different stages. The stage depends upon the size of tumor and areas it has spread to. Doctors decide mode of treatment based on the stage of cancer.Localized cancer in a particular part of lung is termed as Stage 1. If it has spread to the lymph nodes at the top of the lungs, it is termed as Stage 2. Cancer spreads to the chest walls during Stage 3. There is a possibility of cancer having spread to other parts of the body such as windpipe or heart, once it reaches Stage 3. Sometimes there can be fluid collection around the lungs that contain cancer cells.Symptoms of lung cancer can vary from patient to patient. Common symptoms are continuous cough or formation of phlegm with signs of blood in it. More pronounced are ... [more..]