Cancer of the non-small cell lung (NSCLC)

Phase 0: due to lung cancer at stage 0 are limited to the epithelium covering the airways and have not invaded the adjacent lung tissue, can be cured only with surgery, a procedure called resection cot (surgical removal of segments cribs or small set). Sometimes it is necessary to remove the entire lung affected side. Usually not needed to administer chemotherapy or radiation.
Endoscopic photodynamic therapy may represent an alternative to the stage of lung cancer 0. The destruction of cancer cells occurs with a sensitizing drug injected, and this activating substance in conducting a laser beam directly into the cancerous area. If the stage of cancer is actually the stage 0, treatment is likely to be curative.
Stage I: if this stage I NSCLC and the tumor is small, probably the only treatment will be surgical removal of a tumor by lobectomy (removal of one lobe), or a less extensive surgery such as resection or segmentectomia crib. It has been reported that the additional chemotherapy (adjuvant) after surgery for NSCLC can prevent the return of lung cancer removed. The survival rate 5 years expected to be approximately 60 to 80 . If the patient has serious medical problems, you may receive only radiotherapy as primary treatment.
Stage II: If in this stage II NSCLC, the cancer is removed surgically through a lobectomy or a less extensive surgery, such as a segmentectomia. If the patient can not tolerate a lobectomy, resection can be performed in a crib. After surgery is generally used radiation to kill cancer cells remaining after surgery, especially if these cells are present at the edge of the excised tissue. Although the edges of the sample was not detectable cancer cells, doctors may recommend radiation therapy or adjuvant chemotherapy. The survival rate 5 yr expected is approximately 35 when surgery.
Stage IIIA: If at this stage IIIA NSCLC, the treatment will depend on the location of cancer in the lung and lymph nodes to which it has spread.
Surgery can be used only if the surgeon believed that all cancer can be removed satisfactorily. Often after surgery radiotherapy is given, sometimes with chemotherapy. Some studies recommend that before surgery is administered chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or both treatments, with the aim of reducing tumor size enough to be completely removed during surgery. is sometimes used brachytherapy in which a laser beam passes through a bronchoscope to destroy the cancer within the airway.
If no surgery because the patient suffers from other serious medical illnesses that prevent, treat cancer is radiotherapy alone or combined with additional chemotherapy. Several studies are underway which aims to determine the best treatment for people with lung cancer at this time.
The average survival of five years range from 10 to 20 , but some patients with stage IIIA cancer may have a better prognosis.
Stage IIIB: The Stage IIIB NSCLC has spread too extensively to be removed through surgery. The overall five-year survival is approximately 5 , but if the patient's health is relatively good you may receive benefits from a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In some cases, it is possible to perform surgery after treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Several studies are underway which aims to determine the best treatment for people with lung cancer at this time.
Stage IV: because the NSCLC has spread to distant organs, the cure is not possible. When using any aggressive therapy, the treatment goal should be clear to the patient and his family. Otherwise if the patient's health is good, chemotherapy can help prolong life, but offered no cure. If the cancer is blocking an airway, can be treated with brachytherapy or with laser beam through a bronchoscope to destroy the cancer present in the air. The external radioerapia can also be used to treat complications of cancer of the lungs, as well as problems of growth such as metastatic bone pain and symptoms of the nervous system.
Several studies have shown that chemotherapy can prolong life in cases of lung cancer in stage IV.