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Lung
Cancer
Standard Treatments
What Standard
Treatments Do
Here are the standard treatments for lung cancer:
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Surgery is an operation to remove the cancer.
Depending on the location of the tumor, the surgeon may remove a
small part of the lung, a lobe of the lung, or the entire lung and
possibly even part of the ribcage to get to the lung.
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Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer
cells throughout the body. Doctors use chemotherapy to control
cancer growth and relieve symptoms. Anti-cancer drugs are given by
injection; through a catheter, a long thin tube temporarily placed
in a large vein; or in pill form.
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Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill
cancer cells and shrink tumors. An external machine delivers
radiation to a limited area, affecting cancer cells only in that
area. Doctors may use radiation before surgery to shrink a tumor or
after surgery to destroy any cancer cells remaining in the treated
area.
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Photodynamic therapy, a newer technique, is laser
therapy that is used in combination with a chemical to kill cancer
cells. Doctors may use it to reduce symptoms of lung cancer, such
as bleeding, or to treat very small tumors.
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