The treatment you can have for secondary lung cancer will depend on the primary cancer, your general health condition, and your preferences. The treatment is commonly with drugs or treatments which are used for primary cancer. Commonly the objective of treatment is to control the cancer and to treat occurring symptoms. With some cancers, the aim may be to try curing the cancer. Your cancer specialist and nurse will talk with you about possible options for treatment. You may ask them any questions you have regarding the options. In fact, you can decide with your doctor on the best treatment options and plans for you. Hereunder are common options for treating the secondary lung cancer.
Chemotherapy
This treatment is oftentimes given to shrink and control secondary cancers occurring in the lung. It helps to decrease symptoms as well. Chemotherapy can be carried out by giving it into the vein or intravenous one or as tablet. The drug which you have will be dependent on whether you have had chemotherapy before as well as how long ago. You commonly have the treatment in chemotherapy day unit. We have more information regarding chemotherapy.
Hormonal therapy
If you have a cancer which relies on hormones for its growth, such as prostate or breast cancer, you may be given the hormonal therapy. The type of hormonal therapy that you have will be dependent on which hormonal treatments that you have already been given previously.
Targeted therapy
These are the drugs which target specific proteins present on the cancer cells to prevent them from growing. You can have a targeted therapy as the injection given into a vein or as tablets
Radiotherapy
You can also have short course of radiotherapy which is meant to relieve symptoms of the secondary lung cancer, such as coughing up blood or breathlessness.
Surgery
Surgery which is meant to remove the secondary lung cancer may be possible, occasionally. It is commonly only done if the secondary cancer is small and in a particular area of the lung and if it has yet to spread anywhere else in the body.
Ablation
Ablation is when cold or heat is included in treatment to destroy cancer cells. It is sometimes used rather than surgery. Radiofrequency ablation, which is known for the acronym RFA, uses heat to destroy cancer cells. RFA is commonly carried out under general anesthetic. However, sometimes you can have it using some local anesthetic. The doctor will use an ultrasound or CT scan so as to guide the whole procedure. A probe which is called an electrode applies electrical current or radiofrequency to a tumor. The given current will heat the cancer cells to high temperature which ablates or destroys them. Sometimes ablation is carried out by using a probe which generates microwaves or heat to destroy the cancer cells. Cryoablation is done when extreme cold is used for destroying cancer cells.
