By Carl Gay, MD, PhD, as told to Hallie Levine
There are many treatments available to slow the spread of inoperable lung cancer and, sometimes, even put it in remission entirely. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your therapy.
There are a few reasons why a patient might have inoperable lung cancer:
- Your cancer has spread, which means that it may have spread beyond your lungs to other organs.
- You have small-cell lung cancer, which is rarer and has usually spread by the time it’s diagnosed.
- It’s hard to remove the cancer if the tumor is near a blood vessel or close to another organ.
- You have another high-risk health condition such as COPD and your doctor may be concerned about your ability to withstand surgery.
Regardless of the reason your lung cancer is inoperable, there are safe and effective treatments available. Be Aware of Game-Changer Therapies
Historically, inoperable lung cancer has been treated using chemotherapy and radiation at the same time. Although this often shrinks the cancer, it may not be enough to allow a patient to go into full remission. However, in the last decade, new revolutionary treatments have been developed, such as immunotherapy medicines that help a person’s immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively. These include Durvalumab (Imfinzi) and Osimertinib (Tagrisso). These treatments have shown positive results, with studies indicating improved survival rates and benefits for patients with late-stage cancer.