Treatment for metastases of lung cancer

There are different types of lung cancer. The most aggressive of them is small-cell carcinoma, which is rapidly growing and metastasizing to all human organs. It accounts for 20% of the total number of malignant tumors of the lungs. Non-small cell carcinoma( adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma) develops at times more slowly. Lung cancer often affects men aged 50 to 70 years.

Surgical treatment of

In case of lung cancer metastases, surgical intervention is divided into: radical, conditionally radical and palliative. During the radical operation, the entire tumor complex is removed. This is the primary focus, regional lymph nodes, fiber with all the ways of metastasis. Usually radiotherapy and drug therapy are added to the conditionally radical surgery. Physicians also take into account the fact that primary tumor tissue and metastases can often not be surgically removed. After all, there is a threat of severe bleeding or the process of decay in atelectasis.

Contraindications to radical surgery are as follows:

• is unresectable, that is, the spread of the tumor to separate adjacent organs and tissues, in which it is technically impossible to radically remove a tumor;
• inexpediency of surgery due to the presence of distant metastases;
• deviations in the work of the cardiovascular and respiratory system;
• decompensated diseases of internal organs.

Complete surgical removal of malignant tumors and metastases is often accompanied by a wide distance of the root lymph nodes, lymph nodes of the mediastinum and cellulose, resection of the chest wall, diaphragm, pericardium, bifurcation of the trachea, trunk vessels( aorta and upper vena cava), atrium, muscular wall of the esophagus and other tissues, Sprouting tumor.

Radiotherapy

Most often, radiation treatment of lung cancer with metastasis is carried out with its inoperable form, in the event of a patient's refusal of surgical treatment, with the existing serious contraindications to surgical intervention. Such therapy is also conducted in the induction mode, which allows to reduce the volume of the operation. The best effect is observed when the rays are exposed to the squamous and undifferentiated form of lung cancer.

Radiation therapeutic intervention is used in both radical and palliative care. With radical treatment of radiation, the tumor itself and the zones of its regional metastasis are exposed. Usually, the lung root, mediastinum and supraclavicular zones are irradiated simultaneously with a dose of 60-70 Gy.

Chemotherapy

With non-small cell metastatic cancer, light chemotherapy is performed in the presence of acute contraindications to surgical and radiation treatment. A doctor appoints a number of medications with a complicated reception schedule. These are cisplatin, doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, bleomycin, vinorelbine, nitrosylurea, paclitaxel, gemetazepine. Preparations are taken by courses, intervals of 3-4 weeks are made( up to 6 courses in total).Chemotherapy does not work for distant metastases in the bones, liver and brain.

Palliative treatment of

This type of treatment for lung cancer is only used if the possibilities of antitumor treatment are exhausted or severely limited. Palliative care is aimed only at improving the quality of life of an incurable patient and includes: local anesthesia, psychological help, general detoxification and types of palliative surgery( gastrostomy, nephrostomy, tracheostomy and enterostomy).

Palliative care for metastatic lung cancer is used to combat coughing, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, severe pain. A complex treatment of the pneumonitis and pneumonia going parallel to the tumor process is carried out. They usually occur after radiation and chemotherapy. Methods of palliative treatment are extremely individual, they depend on the condition and stage of the patient's illness.

Forecast

In the case when lung cancer is left untreated, 87% of the patients die within 2 years of the diagnosis. With the use of surgical methods, a 30% survival rate can be achieved. Early detection of the primary tumor and metastases can increase the chance of recovery. Joint conducting of radiation, surgical and medicinal treatment raises 5-year survival rate by an additional 40%.