Doctors who treat lung cancer say that there are a lot of promising new therapies that are changing the way they treat lung cancer and save lives. Here are some Lung Cancer Facts what the doctors want you to know about lung cancer, whether you have it yourself or a loved one does.
Also, know about the common Health Insurance related question that you should be asking.
Lung cancer: 5 things doctors want you to know
“There is new hope because of new treatments.”
David Carbone, MD, says that lung cancer today is “not your father’s lung cancer” and that treatment today is different from what it was even 10 years ago. Carbone says, “There are dozens of new treatments.” Among them are targeted drugs that find tumors based on their genes and attack them, immunotherapy, which helps your body fight off cancer, and better ways to use chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
“Be patient. Finding a suitable diagnosis can take a while.”
Dr. Antoinette Wozniak says that people with lung cancer often want to fight it as soon as they find out they have it. But, she says, “the most important thing is that the cancer is staged properly” so doctors can figure out the best way to treat it. Also, she says, doctors may need to look at a tumor’s genes to figure out the best-targeted treatment, which can take up to two weeks.
“Don’t trust supplements.”
Dr. Carbone says, “I try to keep patients from taking a lot of pills from different nutraceutical vendors.” Supplements can cause problems with the medicines he gives you, especially targeted therapies, and are more likely to slow your recovery than help it. He says that before you take supplements, you should talk to your medical oncologist.
“You may need to change your targeted therapy.”
Pierre Massion, MD, has a lot of hope in the personalized drugs that are made to fight the tumor you have. He warns, though, that lung cancer tumors can change and stop responding to treatment. After 8 to 10 months, it’s not unusual for targeted therapy to stop working. The patient may then need another biopsy to find out how the tumor has changed and how to treat it with new drugs.
New hope in the fight against lung cancer
Another Lung Cancer Facts is, In 2020, lung cancer is expected to kill 136,000 people, making it the leading cause of death from cancer. About 19% of people with lung cancer will still be alive five years after being diagnosed. But doctors who treat lung cancer say that there are many promising new therapies that are changing the way they treat lung cancer and save lives. Here’s what they want you to know about lung cancer, whether you have it yourself or a loved one does.
