Chemotherapy

Lung cancer is very common cause to death in both men and women and it ranks second to breast cancer. Mostly it occurs between age group of 45 and 70. The main cause of lung cancer is smoking cigarettes. Some experts say that cancer to ‘Small Cell Lung Carcinoma’ is always occurred by smoking. The report of National Care Institute estimated 172,570 numbers of new cases of lung cancer to this year and about 163,510 American are died due to lung cancer.
Lung cancer begins in lung and so called Lung Cancer. The origin of lung cancer is cells of lungs and this stage is called primary lung cancer. It may spread from other parts of body also. The cancer like Metastatic may spread to lung from colon, breast, prostate, kidney, thyroid gland, stomach, rectum, cervix, testis, skin and bone. The start of more than 90% of primary lung cancer is in bronchi and such type of cancer is called ‘bronchogenic carcinoma’.
There are two types of lung cancer, one of them is Small Cell Cancer (SCLC) and other is Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). There are three sub types to Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. These are Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma and Large Cell Undifferentiated Carcinoma. NSCLC is not that of serious and can be cured with surgery if it is detected early.
Causes of Lung Cancer
Cigarette smoking is one of the main causes of lung cancer. There are about 90% of lung cancer are found in men and 80 % in women. The risk of developing lung cancer depends on duration and quantity of smoking. There are some other causes or substances that cause lung cancer such as arsenic, radiation, nickel, chromates, mustard gas, chloromethyl ethers, coke-oven emissions and working with asbestos. People facing or exposing these substances are under great possibility to lung cancer. The proportion of causing cancer due to these substances is 10% in men and 5% in women. About 1% of lung cancer is caused by air pollution. Lung cancer in less than 1% is caused by the exposure to radon gas in home. People suffering from other lung diseases like tuberculosis and fibrosis may suffer from lung cancer like adenocarcinoma and alveolar cell carcinoma.
What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment in which drugs are used by injecting into a vein or through a drip. The drug used by this way flows through the vein all over the body. However, there are some drugs that are available in the tablets form. The method of taking drug and how to use it depends on the type of drug with which your doctor is treating you. Combination of 2 to 3 different types of chemotherapy drugs are also used for chemotherapy treatment. Besides, there is resting period of 3 to 4 weeks that help the body to get over any side effects. Your treatment depends on type of cancer, drug you having, response of cancer etc. There are some side effects due to chemotherapy; however you can prevent it by taking other medicines and consulting with your doctor. These side effects are temporary as well as permanent. You may take your treatment in hospital, however, depending on your treatment you have to stay in hospital for overnight or for few days. If you are treated by drugs as an out patient then you may go to your home afterwards.
Small cell lung cancer and chemotherapy for it
For small cell lung cancer, chemotherapy is main treatment because it gives well response to chemotherapy. Other treatments like radiotherapy and surgery are local treatments. However, chemotherapy is the treatment that treats the whole body. With the help of this treatment primary cells of cancer can be detected from any parts of body. Microscopic spreads happens early on small cells of lung cancer. Even though the scan may be clear doctors assume that there is microscopic spread. You can use chemotherapy before radiotherapy. Doctor may suggest you chemotherapy with or after surgery if surgery is possible for early small cell lung cancer. The reason for this is there are cells, which are broken away from the tumor and can be travel to another part of body. For small cell, combination of cisplatin and etoposide are used in the chemotherapy. The response of small cell lung cancer to this combination is well although doctors are researching for other combination, which will give better results than this combination.
Non small cell lung cancer and chemotherapy for it

The response from these cells is as well as small cell lung cancer. For this cancer surgery and radiation are the main treatments because there is less microscopic spread if it is diagnosed at an early stage. Chemotherapy is used more frequently and is more valuable than other treatment. Chemotherapy can be held before and after radiotherapy treatment. It is also used after surgery to prevent cancer returning back. It is also helpful to control symptoms of cancer. You can go for chemotherapy within 6 weeks after surgery if you are fit for it. No cancer cells are found when chemotherapy is given after radiotherapy. Still there is advanced non small lung cancer cells found then doctors suggest you the combined treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to control cancer. Chemotherapy either with gemcitabine, paclittaxel or vinorelbine with platinum is the first choice for people having advanced non small cell lung cancer at the stage of 3 and 4. If cancer continued to grow then doctors held treatment with docetaxel. However, it depends on your fitness. The surgery before chemotherapy is called ‘neoadjuvant therapy’. This is not a slandered treatment right now and therefore doctors are searching for the treatment, which will give best results.