Did you know that lung cancer kills three times as many men as prostate cancer and twice as many women as breast cancer?
Those are staggering statistics when you think about it.
Also, fewer than one in seven patients will be diagnosed while lung cancer is in its earliest, most treatable stage according to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America.
But there is still reason for hope even if a patient is diagnosed at a later stage, there are treatments as well as clinical trials available.
That’s why patients have to be their own best advocates.
They need to speak with their doctors and do their own research to determine the path that will give them the best chance of survival.
Main Types of Lung Cancer
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are two main types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell is more common. The categories just refer to what the cancer cells look like under a microscope.
Once a patient is diagnosed, doctors typically run tests to figure out the stage of the cancer and the best treatment plan.
Lung Cancer Treatment Options
Surgery
Doctors use various invasive surgical techniques to remove the cancer by removing an entire lung, a lobe containing the cancer or part of the lobe containing the cancer.
But lung cancer surgery is complicated, and patients need to be healthy enough to endure the surgery. A patient’s overall health, cancer type and stage as well as a patient’s lung function play crucial roles in determining what procedure a surgeon may choose.
Radiation Therapy
While surgery has been considered the gold standard, radiation is challenging that standard.
Radiation uses high-energy rays to target and destroy the cancer.
There are also several different types of radiation used including internal and external radiation.
And while there are several types of external radiation, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), like that used at the CyberKnife Center of Miami, offers some distinct advantages.
Chemotherapy
Oncologists use medication to shrink and kill the cancer. Chemotherapy comes in many different forms including pills as well as medication given in a patient’s veins.
Targeted Therapy
This therapy uses medication to stop the growth and the spread of the cancer.
Immunotherapy
According to the American Cancer Society, immunotherapy means using medications to help a person’s own immune system fight the cancer by recognizing the cancer cells then killing them.
Sometimes doctors use a combination of various treatment options to kill the cancer.
CyberKnife Therapy For Lung Cancer
Studies show that the SBRT radiation used at the CyberKnife Center of Miami offers a solution with promising results.
- SBRT is a non-surgical option for early-stage, inoperable non-small cell lung cancer.
- It’s also an option for tumors in difficult-to-treat locations like near the chest wall.
- And it may also be an alternative for patients who don’t want surgery.
In a multi-center Japanese lung cancer study, 180 patients received SBRT. Of the patients, 120 had inoperable lung cancer, and 60 had operable cancer. The three-year survival rate for the operable cancer patients was 74-percent and 59-percent for the inoperable patients.
With the SBRT technology, beams hit the tumor from different angles, but because of its pinpoint accuracy, there is less damage to surrounding tissue.
The system monitors a patient’s breathing and keeps track of even the smallest movements by a patient so only the tumor is targeted.
There are also fewer treatments than with traditional radiation. Most patients only needing one to five with CyberKnife.
Cancer Treatment Center Miami
CyberKnife Miami opened its doors nearly 20 years ago and was the first CyberKnife center to open in the Southeast.
Since that time, we have successfully treated thousands of patients from across the country and right here in South Florida, including patients in Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties.
This technology has helped patients who were told they couldn’t have any more radiation, and it’s helped patients who were told their tumors were deemed inoperable, like lung cancer patients.
If you want to learn more about CyberKnife Miami for lung cancer call us now at 305-279-2900 or go to our website www.cyberknifemiami.com.