In stage 4, lung cancer patients have entered the final stage of the disease. Most patients at this stage are expected to live for less than a year, with an average survival time of about eight months, according to OncologyChannel.com. Surgery is usually not a good option for these types of patients, but radiation therapy can still be used.
What is Stage 4 Lung Cancer?
In stage 4, the cancer has begun to spread into the liver, bones and brain. The patient is often very weak, has little appetite and may become depressed. Prior to stage 4, the cancer has already spread from the lungs into the rest of the chest, including the heart.
Preferred Treatment Options
It is rare for radiation therapy to be used after stage 3. The preferred treatment options for stage 4 patients are chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, clinical trials and supportive care. Radiation therapy might be used in some clinical trials. Radioactive medication is also sometimes used for various reasons. Surgery is not recommended in part because the body is often too weak. In addition, surgical procedures can cause a condition called lymphocytopenia. This means that the number of white blood cells has become low. This condition is linked to decreased survival rates, especially in lung cancer patients in the later stages of the disease.
Chemotherapy and Internal Radiation Treatment
Traditional chemotherapy and radiation treatments can be used to fight lung cancer. One method involves placing a radioactive substance in wires, needles or catheters. Chemotherapy can be absorbed through injections into the bloodstream, spinal column, body cavity or organs.
External Radiation Therapy Techniques
Radiation therapy, in addition to being used internally, can also be applied externally. Radiation is shot at the patient's body in much the same fashion as a common X-ray. In fact, X-rays and gamma radiation are two of the most common types of radiation therapy.The radiation used for external beam radiation treatments can be generated from a variety of machines, such as orthovoltage X-ray machines. They deliver intense treatments with pinpoint accuracy, or the machines may be calibrated to expose the entire body to the radiation. Some doctors may construct molds or casts of your body to help them calibrate the machines.
Cyberknife is another type of radiation therapy, known as radiosurgery. It is a type of external radiation therapy used to treat inoperable lung cancer. A single, large dose of radiation is given in a targeted area to kill a tumor. This method does very little damage to healthy tissue.
Targeted Drug Therapy
One kind of targeted drug therapy is photodynamic therapy. This process uses chemicals called photosensitizers that are injected into the body. Once injected, the agent sticks to cancer cells, making them easy to see under certain light conditions. This method can be used to kill some tumors beneath the skin using lasers. The laser targets the area highlighted by the photosensitizing agents.
Tags: lung cancer, cancer patients, clinical trials, drug therapy, Lung Cancer