Medicines for Lung cancer

What it is

Lung cancer is one of the most common and most serious types of cancer, in which cells in the lung grow in an abnormal, uncontrolled way and form a tumour. It usually affects older adults and is strongly linked with smoking, which is the biggest risk factor (including passive smoking), though it can also occur in people who have never smoked, and other factors (such as exposure to certain substances like radon or asbestos) can contribute. There are two main types — non-small-cell lung cancer (the most common) and small-cell lung cancer — which behave and are treated differently. In its early stages lung cancer often causes no symptoms, which is why it can be advanced by the time it is found; when symptoms do occur, they can include a cough that does not go away or a change in a long-standing cough, a chest infection that does not get better or keeps coming back, breathlessness, coughing up blood, chest or shoulder pain, persistent tiredness or lack of energy, and unexplained weight loss. Because these symptoms can be caused by many other, less serious conditions, they do not necessarily mean cancer — but they should always be checked, as diagnosing lung cancer earlier greatly improves the range and success of treatment. Treatment depends on the type, stage, and the person’s general health, and may include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and newer targeted and immunotherapy treatments. Not smoking, and stopping smoking, are the most important ways to reduce the risk. A national screening programme (targeted lung health checks) is being rolled out to detect lung cancer earlier in people at higher risk.

How it is treated

Lung cancer is diagnosed and treated by specialist teams, and the approach depends on the type of lung cancer, its stage (how far it has spread), and the person’s overall health and wishes. Diagnosis usually involves tests such as a chest X-ray, a CT scan, and often a biopsy (taking a sample of cells) and other scans to determine the type and stage. Treatment options include: surgery to remove the affected part of the lung (which may be possible when the cancer is caught early and confined); radiotherapy (using radiation to destroy cancer cells); chemotherapy; and, increasingly, targeted therapies (which act on specific features of the cancer) and immunotherapy (which helps the immune system fight the cancer) — these newer treatments have improved outcomes for many people. Treatments may be used alone or in combination, with the aim of curing the cancer where possible, or otherwise controlling it and relieving symptoms to help people live longer and as well as possible. Supportive and palliative care play an important role in managing symptoms and maintaining quality of life at any stage. The key messages are that seeing a GP promptly about persistent symptoms — particularly a cough lasting three weeks or more, coughing up blood, breathlessness, chest pain, or unexplained weight loss — allows earlier diagnosis, which greatly improves treatment options; and that stopping smoking is the single most effective way to reduce the risk of lung cancer (and improves outcomes even after diagnosis). People at higher risk may be invited for lung health checks, which can find cancer earlier. The takeaway is that lung cancer is serious and common, that early diagnosis makes a real difference, and that anyone with persistent or worrying symptoms should be checked without delay.