Chemotherapy (chemo) is a cancer treatment that uses anti-cancer medications that are either injected into a vein or consumed orally. These medications circulate through the circulation and reach nearly every body region. Chemotherapy for lung cancer is a treatment in which chemicals are used to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is another name for it. Your chemotherapy regimen is determined by the kind and stage of your lung cancer, overall health, and unique treatment goals and preferences.
Utilization of Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), but it may also be used before, after, or after surgery in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
- Adjuvant therapy is chemotherapy administered following lung cancer surgery to treat any residual malignancy.
- Neoadjuvant therapy is chemotherapy administered before surgery to reduce the tumor.
This treatment is available to patients of all ages who have lung cancer. If you cannot have surgery, you may be treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy to decrease your tumor.
Radiation and chemotherapy better choice
Chemotherapy is frequently used in conjunction with radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation may work better together to eliminate cancer cells. Chemotherapy can help some people with lung cancer keep their tumors small so that radiation can operate more effectively to eradicate them. It may also prevent cancer cells from returning following radiation therapy.
How is chemotherapy administered for lung cancer?
Chemotherapy for lung cancer is typically administered intravenously or through a vein. They can be administered as an injection (which takes only a few minutes) or as an infusion (which takes many hours). Chemotherapy can be administered in a doctor’s office, a chemotherapy clinic, a hospital, or a treatment facility. Some people have a port or central venous access (CVA) lines, which allows doctors to deliver chemotherapy directly into the bloodstream without needing a single needle puncture. Chemotherapy is administered in cycles. This means that after each treatment session, there is a time of no therapy. This helps your body to rest and recuperate from the medications’ effects.
Summary
The prognosis varies greatly depending on the cancer stage and its spread. Statistics provide an overview but are not conclusive. Discuss your prognosis with your doctor, considering your diagnosis and other health issues. Chemotherapy can help slow or stop cancer growth, lessen lung cancer side effects, and extend your life. However, everyone is unique, and people react differently to different chemotherapy medications. What works for one person might not work for the next.
