While it may seem like an impossible question, the answer to the question, “is lung cancer curable” may surprise you. While it can be extremely difficult to live with lung cancer diagnosis, there are treatments that can improve your quality of life and prolong your life. The stage of lung cancer that you are diagnosed with plays a vital role in the treatment options available. The treatment you receive will depend on the type and extent of your cancer and the extent of lymph node involvement.
Lung cancer can be stage II, stage III, or stage IV. Stage II cancer is treated with surgery, while stage IV lung cancer spreads to distant organs and lymph nodes. Your care team will use several different tests to determine the stage of your lung cancer and the treatment options that are right for you. Depending on the stage of your cancer, you may require radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy. However, these methods may have side effects and may not be suitable for everyone.
Advanced stage lung cancer is more difficult to treat, and it is often not detected until it has spread to distant organs. By this time, treatments are much more intense and less effective. Since lung cancer usually spreads to distant organs, doctors usually classify it as a terminal illness. However, certain treatments can extend your life. Some treatments, known as palliative care, can even extend your life. But you should know that they can also lead to unpleasant side effects that detract from your quality of life.
Symptoms of lung cancer may be caused by less serious conditions, and doctors should diagnose them. The doctor will perform various tests, procedures, and scans to look for signs of cancer. A biopsy is a procedure in which a tissue sample is removed. Depending on the type of cancer, a biopsy may be performed in a few different ways. For example, a biopsy may be performed by passing a lighted tube down the throat, where a medical can examine the abnormal areas of the lungs.
The main difference between small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer is that small cell cancer is more likely to spread to other parts of the body, and the cure for this type of cancer depends on whether the cancer has spread throughout the body. Typically, lung cancer takes years to develop. Despite the fact that lung cancer is rare in people younger than 40, more than four out of ten people diagnosed with the disease are older. The most common risk factor for lung cancer is smoking. The smoke in cigarettes causes permanent abnormalities to the lungs, and these cells can transform into cancerous tumors.
Radiation therapy is another common form of treatment. This form of treatment, commonly referred to as radiation therapy, can be effective in relieving symptoms of lung cancer, such as pain, airway blockage, coughing, and shortness of breath. The radiation from this type of treatment is focused and is designed to have maximum effect on the cancer cells. Patients undergo several sessions of radiation therapy, usually over a six-week period.
