Lung Cancer Prognosis
The prognosis for lung cancer in most instances is grim. Whether the lung cancer is related to asbestos or not, the prognosis is dependent on a few factors :
- which stage of lung cancer - early diagnosis and surgery increases the survival rate. The problem with lung cancer is that often the X-rays will not reveal tumors until they are at least 1 cm in diameter - which means that many cases of lung cancer are diagnosed later. Doctors typically use a system to grade the lung cancer by considering the tumor, whether the tumor has spread to surrounding lymph nodes and other body systems. This system is also used as a determining factor as to the aggressiveness of the treatment required.
- whether there is a concomittant presence of asbestosis. Generally the worse it is, the grimmer the prognosis.
What are the treatment options for lung cancer?
- surgery to remove as much of the tumor as is feasible
- radiotherapy and chemotherapy
- other new therapies are being researched namely a biological treatment called interleukin 2, lovastatin, immunotherapy, gene therapy and photodynamic therapy. Your doctor would be able to inform you about current clinical trials that are being conducted.
- lung transplants
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Lung Cancer Prognosis