About Lung Cancer Treatment Breakthroughs

Lung cancer, according to the American Lung Association is diagnosed in both women and men as the second common type of cancer. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, but second-hand smoke or those that live with someone that smoke are at risk. Those not around smoke or that smoke themselves still can develop lung cancer. New treatments are very encouraging.

Off-Label Use Drug Showing Promise

Protein Kinase Ciota or PKCi was used at one time to treat rheumatoid arthritis has shown some promising findings as it appears to stop or at least slow down certain types of lung cancer. It used now as a target therapy, which means it differs from chemotherapy in the way it kills the cancer cells. The oncogene is prohibited by the drug, which stops the normal cells in the lungs from turning into cancer cells. 

Surgery and Chemotherapy

Those that are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in the past were operated on to remove the cancer and then may or may not have chemotherapy. Today, it is shown that the survival rate is higher when patients immediately begin chemotherapy directly after treatment. There was a higher survival rate after five years of those who received chemotherapy right after surgery than those that did not.

Early Detection is Key

If you smoke or live with someone that does, having regular lung x-rays to check for any masses or spots could literally save your life. One of the problems with lung cancer is that it tends to spread before it is ever diagnosed. Therefore, if you smoke or even if you don't and develop a cough or congestion that does not go away in a few days, see your doctor and ask for an x-ray.