With the continuous destruction of healthy cells around the lungs, malignant cells spread their web and jeopardize normal functioning. As the lungs are a part of the respiratory system, damage to this organ can cause severe damage to our entire body.
Non-small cell lung cancer
The growth of non-small cell lung cancer starts with the external part of the lungs. It is found that the 85% citizens of America are suffering from the non-small cell lung cancer.
Risk factors for this cancer are:
- Air pollution
- Cigarette smoking
- Passive smoking
- Excessive consumption of alcohol
- Poor diet
- Working in radioactive materials
Treatment Procedures
The non-small cell lung cancer is becoming a growing issue for the American society and the hospitals are taking various procedures involving radiation and chemotherapy, surgery and targeted treatments and therapies.
Surgery
For the first and second stages of cancer, Albany Medical Center and Baptist Health Lexington choose to operate the affected area often using VATS making an incision in the chest. The malignant tumor is removed from the lung reducing the future risks of cancer.
Radiation and Chemotherapy
This non-small cell lung cancer therapy called as adjuvant therapy is used by USC Norris Cancer Hospital-Keck Medical Center of USC for the patients in third and fourth stages of NSCLC. Carboplatin, gemcitabine, paclitaxel and plus docetaxel are used in the chemotherapy.
Targeted Therapy
This non-small cell lung cancer therapy is used by Johns Hopkins Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Hospital for attacking the specific malignant cells. However, the procedure of this therapy differs from that of the chemotherapy as the treatment procedures involve,
- Afatinib
- Erlotinib
- Crizotinib
- Gefitinib
- Ceritinib
- Bevacizumab
Immunotherapy
For getting rid of non-small cell lung cancer therapy, immunotherapy can be an effective therapy as it lowers the risks emerging out of viruses, infections, and advancement of malignant tumors. The immune system can be boosted as a whole with checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, therapeutic vaccines and adoptive T-cell transfer.
Apart from these ways of fighting against non-small cell lung cancer, there are bio-markings that include EGFR, KRAS 1 and ALK for getting the real picture of the protein molecule. Hence, there is still hope that the medical world can save the humanity from the perils of non-small cell lung cancer completely in future.