Lung Cancer - Non-Small Cell
Alternate Names : Cancer - Lung - Non-Small Cell, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
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Treatment
The treatment depends upon the stage of the cancer. Most patients with stage I and II non-small cell tumors, and some patients with stage III tumors, can undergo surgery with the goal of being cured. Stage IV means the cancer has spread to other sites in the body (most often bone, brain, or liver) and is, in most cases, not curable.
- Surgery to cut out the tumor is usually done when the cancer has not spread beyond the lung and selected lymph nodes (stage I, II and selected cases of stage III).
- Some patients will undergo chemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy prior to surgery. Recent data suggests that this approach might be the best treatment for some patients.
- Some patients may be helped by chemotherapy after surgery for non-small cell lung cancer. Data presented in 2003 showed increased survival for patients who received this type of therapy, which may now be indicated in certain circumstances.
- The combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy is often used for cancer confined to the lung and lymph nodes that cannot be removed by surgery (stage III).
- Chemotherapy alone is often used when the cancer has spread (stage IV). Chemotherapy has been shown to prolong the life and improve the quality of life in some stage IV patients.
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