About Lung Cancer

Treatment will vary from person to person, depending on your type and stage of lung cancer and other factors, such as your medical history. Your medical team – which will likely include a lung specialist, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and surgeon – will discuss the best treatment options for you.

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Here are some of the leading treatments for lung cancer, which are available at The START Center for Cancer Care:

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• Surgery –START surgeons have extensive experience with lung cancer procedures such as:

  • Wedge/segment removal – extracting a small part of the lung

  • Segmental resection surgery – removing a section of the lobe of the lung

  • Lobectomy – the removal of one of the lobes of the lung

  • Pneumonectomy – the removal of an entire lung

 

• Anti-cancer drugs – Most lung cancer treatments involve taking prescription medication. The START Center for Cancer Care provides comprehensive on-site pharmacy services, including medication pick-up, counseling, financial aid, prior authorization processing for insurance claims, and home delivery.

 

The START Center Oncologists are leaders in international cancer research and conduct the world’s largest oncology program in Phase I clinical trials for anti-cancer medications. (Phase I trials consist of the first round of research trials for new drugs with a select group of participants.)   The researchers at START have access to the very latest promising new anti-cancer medications. If you’d like to learn more make sure to talk with your doctor to see if this is something they believe makes sense for you.

 

Generally, a patient uses a combination of different medications, including the following:

 

• Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy drugs target quickly dividing cells (like cancer cells) and destroy them. This therapy is particularly useful when treating cancer in later stages because it can kill cancer cells throughout the whole body. More than half of cancer treatments involve some degree of chemotherapy to completely remove the cancer or to slow symptoms. You might have heard of chemotherapy side effects such as hair loss, nausea, or damage to the skin and or bones. These side effects occur because the tissue in your hair, intestines, skin, and bones are all fast-growing cells and thus might potentially be attacked by chemotherapy drugs.

• Targeted therapy – Targeted drug therapy is a type of chemotherapy designed to specifically attack a cancer cell itself or other molecules that help cancer cells grow. In some cases, targeted therapies cause fewer side effects than other treatments because they are better at addressing cancer cells and leaving healthy cells alone.

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Genetic testing – Like each person’s unique characteristics, cancer manifests itself differently. Thus, cancer treatment should also be personalized for a patient’s individual diagnosis. And since time is precious, it is critical to gain access to the most effective drug early on in the treatment process. The START Center for Cancer Care is the first provider in South Texas to offer genetic testing of tumors to help obtain the most effective medication as fast as possible.​

 

What is genetic testing? Each of your cells, including cancerous cells, contain a copy of your DNA. By sequencing the DNA found in a cancerous growth, the START cancer specialists can implement a series of tests and genetic markers to identify which anti-cancer drugs are most likely to be effective, saving weeks to months of treatment and unnecessary side effects. You can also be tested to detect hereditary diseases. Use our online form to request an appointment.

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Radiation – Hitting cancer cells with high-energy particles can damage a cancer cell’s DNA, which can prevent the cancer from replicating and growing. For lung cancer cases, radiation is generally only used when a patient is too sick for surgery. It is also usually prescribed to relieve symptoms but not as a cure.  

 

The type of lung cancer determines the type of treatment a doctor recommends. For example:

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• Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) – Surgery is usually less effective for SCLC and tends to be used only in the earliest stages of SCLC development. Instead, chemotherapy and radiation are the typical treatment options for SCLC cases.

• Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) – Surgery is usually the first line of treatment for NSCLC. Chemotherapy and radiation might be added at later stages.

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Additional resources:

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Further explanation of the lymphatic system

Anatomical description of the lungs

Treatment for SCLC at various stages

Treatment for NSCLC at various stages

Chemotherapy

Targeted therapy