Medications
Chemotherapy uses powerful medications to
kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is the most effective therapy for
small cell lung cancer. It can help control the growth and spread of the
cancer, but it cures lung cancer in only a small number of people. Chemotherapy
also may be used to treat more advanced stages (stages III and IV) of
non–small cell lung cancer.
Medication Choices
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is called a systemic
treatment because the medicines enter your bloodstream, travel through your
body, and kill cancer cells both inside and outside the lung area. Some
chemotherapy drugs are taken by mouth (orally), while others are injected into
a vein (intravenous, or IV).
Extensive research
and
clinical trials have studied the different
chemotherapy medicines used to treat lung cancer. Some medicines are used for
most people with lung cancer. Some are used in combination with others to be
more effective. Some may be used before surgery or after surgery. Your
oncologist will discuss and recommend chemotherapy treatment specific to your
condition. Several of the more common chemotherapy medicines include the
following:
Gefitinib. This medicine is used for lung cancer but
recent studies show it may not improve long-term survival for many people. The
United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises people who are using
this medicine to continue their treatment and talk with their
oncologist.20
Bevacizumab is an
intravenous (IV) drug that helps prevent formation of
blood vessels that supply the tumor with nutrients and help the cancer grow and
multiply. Studies suggest that bevacizumab used at the same time as some other
forms of chemotherapy may help people with advanced lung cancer live longer.
Bevacizumab is now approved to be used with the chemotherapy drugs carboplatin
and paclitaxel for treating non-small cell lung cancer.21 But because bevacizumab has serious side effects, talk with
your doctor about whether you should take this medicine.
What To Think About
Most chemotherapy causes some
side effects. Your doctor may prescribe
medicines to control nausea or vomiting.
Chemotherapy may be given before surgery (neoadjuvant) or after surgery
(adjuvant therapy) to kill cancer cells.
Many clinical trials are
studying the different combinations of chemotherapy medicines for the different
stages of lung cancer. Discuss with your oncologist what choices are available
for your lung cancer.
Radiation therapy may be given in
combination with chemotherapy to treat specific tumors.
Clinical trials
If standard treatments are not
effective or are causing more side effects than desired, you may want to
consider being part of a
clinical trial. These trials study new or different
ways to treat cancer.
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