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Non-small cell lung cancer or NSCLC is the more common lung cancer that occurs in patients but is not as fast growing as small cell lung cancer or SCLC. Malignant cancerous cells appear in lungs and the lymph nodes, and depending on the stage and severity, different treatments are suggested, including chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

Types

In NSCLC, there are three types that are typically diagnosed:

• Squamous cell carcinoma - Cancer cells start in the main bronchi and is easier to detect as it can show up in mucus samples. Most easily cured as well and up to 30 percent of cases of NSCLC are squamous cell carcinoma
• Adenocarcinoma - This type is the most common in NSCLC. This particular cancer is largely found in women or non-smokers. Cancerous growth is found out the out edges of the lungs. This type even spreads to the lymph nodes and often has fewer symptoms in the beginning.
• Large cell carcinoma - As the name suggests, these are large cancer growths that also appear along the edges of the lungs. These rarely occur in NSCLC and account for about 10-15 per cent of total cases.

Stages of NSCLC

There are five stages of NSCLC. Depending on which stage your cancer is in helps decide the treatment you will get.

• Stage 0 - in this stage, the cancer is discovered when it is still in the lung lining
• Stage I - in this stage, the cancer is still small and not yet reached the lymph nodes
• Stage II - the cancer has moved to the lymph nodes near the tumour in this stage
• Stage III - this is a serious stage in lung cancer when the tumour spreads to not only the lymph nodes but even surrounding tissue
• Stage IV - this is the most serious stage of NSCLC where the cancer has spread from the lungs to other major organs in the body like liver, kidneys, or even the brain

Surgery is common in the treatment process for NSCLC. Surgery is used for stages 0 and I. Surgery can be done when the cancer is still contained in the lungs. Surgeries involve removal of lobes of the lung, part of the lung or an entire lung, all of which depends on the spread of the cancer.

The other treatment for lung cancer is usually a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses rays to kill cancer from the outside. Only chemotherapy is used if the patient is in stage IV of NSCLC.

Chemotherapy, along with radiation, is also given before surgery. This treatment is termed as neoadjuvant therapy. Chemotherapy can be given even after surgery to kill off any potential cancer cells that surgery may not have removed.

The survival rate till stage II is very high. Chemotherapy in NSCLC has shown to prolong life quite a bit and is a common method of treatment.

For some stages of NSCLC, chemotherapy is given as part of the first line treatment. Recent research shows more doctors prefer giving it even if the cancer in below stage II (not serious enough for chemotherapy).

The debate whether chemotherapy should be used in first-line treatment, second-line treatment or even third-line treatment, as a preventive step; continues. If doctors use chemotherapy in stage IV NSCLC, then the chances of survival tend to be low. But if the cancer is discovered in stage IV, there is anyway little a doctor can do. So whether a doctor should use chemotherapy as first-line treatment is still being debated upon. Patients who are going to be given chemotherapy as third-line treatment, they should also be told about the possible dangers.

Reference

• http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_radiation_therapies_non-small_cell_lung_cancer_000072_11.htm

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