What are the basic classifications of lung cancer? What treatments are most effective for lung cancer?

Lung cancer has become the most common tumor in the world. More and more people are suffering from lung cancer. Having this disease is a living hell. Since you have this disease, just relax and get treatment! Different types of lung cancer have different treatment methods. Let's learn about the basic classification and treatment methods of lung cancer!

1. Basic types of lung cancer

1. Small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or oat cell carcinoma, nearly 20% of lung cancer patients belong to this type; small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tumor cells have a short doubling time and progress quickly, often accompanied by endocrine abnormalities or carcinoid syndrome; because patients have hematogenous metastasis in the early stage and are sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the treatment of small cell lung cancer should be based on systemic chemotherapy, combined with radiotherapy and surgery as the main treatment methods. Comprehensive treatment is the key to the successful treatment of small cell lung cancer.

2. Non-small cell lung cancer

About 80% of lung cancer patients belong to the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) category. This distinction is quite important because the treatment options for these two types of lung cancer are completely different. Patients with small cell lung cancer are mainly treated with chemotherapy, and surgical treatment does not play a major role in patients with this type of lung cancer. On the other hand, surgical treatment is mainly suitable for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. .

(II) Treatment methods

1. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is divided into therapeutic chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Different chemotherapy drugs and different chemotherapy regimens should be selected according to the different histological types of lung cancer. In addition to killing tumor cells, chemotherapy can also damage normal cells in the human body, so chemotherapy needs to be carried out under the guidance of an oncologist.

In recent years, the role of chemotherapy in lung cancer is no longer limited to patients with advanced lung cancer who cannot undergo surgery, but is often included in the comprehensive treatment plan for lung cancer as a systemic treatment. Chemotherapy can inhibit the bone marrow hematopoietic system, mainly the decrease of white blood cells and platelets, and granulocyte colony stimulating factor and platelet stimulating factor can be used for treatment. Chemotherapy is divided into therapeutic chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy.

2. Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is more effective for small cell lung cancer, followed by squamous cell carcinoma, and the worst for adenocarcinoma. The irradiation field for lung cancer radiotherapy should include the primary lesion and the mediastinum of lymph node metastasis. At the same time, it should be supplemented with drug therapy. Squamous cell carcinoma is moderately sensitive to radiation, the lesions are mainly local invasion, and the metastasis is relatively slow, so curative treatment is often used. Adenocarcinoma is less sensitive to radiation and is prone to blood metastasis, so simple radiotherapy is rarely used. Radiotherapy is a local treatment and often requires combined chemotherapy. The combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be used in a synchronous chemoradiotherapy or alternating chemoradiotherapy method depending on the patient's condition.

3. Surgery

Surgery is the first and main treatment for lung cancer, and it is also the only treatment that can cure lung cancer. The purpose of surgical treatment for lung cancer is:

Completely remove the primary lesion of lung cancer and metastatic lymph nodes to achieve clinical cure;

Removing the vast majority of the tumor to create favorable conditions for other treatments is called cytoreductive surgery;

Reduction surgery: Suitable for a small number of patients, such as those with refractory pleural and pericardial effusions. By removing pleural and pericardial implant nodules, removing part of the pericardium and pleura, the clinical symptoms caused by pericardial and pleural effusions can be cured or alleviated, and life can be prolonged or the quality of life can be improved. Reduction surgery requires local and systemic chemotherapy at the same time. Surgical treatment often requires adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy before or after surgery to improve the cure rate of surgery and the survival rate of patients. The five-year survival rate of surgical treatment of lung cancer is 30% to 44%; the mortality rate of surgical treatment is 1% to 2%.

The above article introduces several types of lung cancer and their treatment methods. I believe that after reading it, you have gone from knowing nothing to understanding it in depth. If you are also diagnosed with lung cancer, then first determine the type, and then choose the treatment method based on the type. Follow the steps and the condition will be under control.