What Is Treatment For Lung Cancer?

Treatment of lung cancer depends on the type, size and location of the tumor. Other factors such as the stage of disease, and the age and general health of the patient are also accounted for.  If there is no proof that the disease has spread beyond the lung, the tumor can be removed by several surgical procedures. Only a small part of the lung is removed. The left lung has two lobes while the right has three. I

f an entire lobe is removed, the procedure is called a lobectomy while removing the entire lung is called a pneumonectomy. After surgery, radiation treatment and chemotherapy are used to ensure that the entire tumor is eliminated. Fewer than 50 percent of lung cancer patients are fit enough for surgery because their cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Such patients may receive chemotherapy or radiation treatment or a combination of both, depending on the condition of the illness.

Lung cancer patients need to be monitored regularly after treatment, even if no signs of cancer persist. A number of survivors from first cancer develop second. Gene therapy is a relatively new treatment for lung cancer and other diseases with genetic components.