What Is The Most Effective Treatment For Lung Cancer?

 Lung cancer rates are rapidly increasing in non-smokers and women. 6.9% of all new cancer in India is lung cancer, and 9.3% of all cancer-related deaths in both men and women are due to lung cancer. In fact, lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world.

In India, lung cancer is on the rise not only because of the changing lifestyle but also because of the increase in air pollution. 

There are two major types of lung cancer, small-cell lung cancer, and non-small-cell lung cancer. Out of the two, non-small-cell lung cancer is more common. 

After lung cancer has been diagnosed, several tests, including a test for assessing genetic mutation, are conducted before deciding on a treatment plan. 

From the stage of lung cancer, i.e., where the lung cancer has spread to the patient’s age, from overall medical history to the type of lung cancer, from the extent of the disease to the medication or procedure, or therapy tolerance, from treatment expectations to individual preference, the best treatment plan for a lung cancer patient depends on a lot of factors. 

In this blog, we’ll talk about the most effective treatments for lung cancer.

Which treatment is best for lung cancer?

There is no one treatment plan which is better than the other because, as discussed, lung cancer treatment depends on a variety of factors. However, all lung cancer can be treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, other medications, localized treatments like laser therapy, or a combination of different treatments. 

Generally, cancer specialists treat people diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, even targeted therapy, or a combination of the said treatments, also called multimodality treatment. On the other hand, small-cell lung cancer patients are often treated with either radiation therapy or chemotherapy, or both. 

Now let’s talk about the treatments in detail.

Surgery

Surgery is often an option for early-stage lung cancer; that is when the cancer is confined to the lungs.

The types of surgery depend upon multiple factors, including tumor size & location, cancer extent, overall patient health, etc. If cancer has spread, then cancer specialists often recommend chemotherapy or radiation before surgery to shrink the tumor. Not only that, but if there is a chance of cancer cells being left behind post-surgery, cancer doctors also may suggest chemotherapy or radiation post-op.

Types of surgery:

1. Wedge Resection-Here a small section of the affected lung containing the tumor is removed with a margin of healthy tissues.
2. Segment Resection-Here a larger lung portion is removed but not an entire lobe.
3. Lobectomy-Here an entire lobe is removed.
4. Pneumonectomy-Here an entire lung is removed.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. It is often used for locally advanced lung cancer pre or post-surgery. It can be used with chemotherapy when surgery is not a viable option. Radiation therapy can also be useful in cases of advanced lung cancer for relieving pain symptoms.

Chemotherapy

In chemotherapy, specialized drugs are used to kill or shrink cancer cells. It can be with other treatments. It is often administered in a series of treatments over a period, sometimes weeks or months. The breaks are for the patient to recover. A cancer specialist can recommend an individualized chemotherapy plan depending on the patient.

Targeted Therapy

In lung cancer, there are multiple targeted treatment options. These treatments focus on unique abnormalities present within a patient’s cancer cells. Targeted therapy remedies the abnormalities & attacks cancer cells specifically but spares the healthy cells. Presently, such drugs have only found use in some cases of non-small-cell lung cancer. For targeted therapy, a gene mutation test is often necessary.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses the patient’s immune system against the cancer cells. It can come in the forms of drugs, vaccines, and other therapies which activate the natural defenses of the immune system to fight lung cancer. 

In some cases, “anti-PD-1” has shown noticeable tumor regression after a round of chemotherapy. Some immunotherapy drugs like pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, and nivolumab have also been approved for certain types of non-small-cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer treatment breakthroughs

• On 1st June 2021, the USFDA approved Lumakras™ (sotorasib) as the first treatment for NSCLC or non-small-cell lung cancer patients with tumors that have the KRAS G12C genetic mutation and have received at least one systemic therapy prior. 
• Keytruda monotherapy was found to improve progression-free survival in previously treated, PD-L1–positive advanced NSCLC.
• It was seen that at-home prehabilitation may improve surgical outcomes in lung cancer patients. 
• A recent study also demonstrated that a combination of Tecentriq (atezolizumab) plus carboplatin and etoposide can safely improve the survival rate of patients with extensive-stage SCLC or small-cell lung cancer.

Multiple other treatments and treatment adjacents like palliative care, clinical trial participation, coping mechanisms, alternative medicines, can be used and are used in lung cancer.

Lung cancer treatment today-The conclusion

Which lung cancer treatment is best for you? As discussed before, it is entirely dependent on the staging, the spread, the choice, and most importantly, the cancer specialist. If you are a lung cancer patient and want a second opinion or looking for advanced treatment options, you can always consult an expert like Dr. Manish Singhal, a lung cancer doctor in Delhi NCR.

Note

Dr. Manish Singhal is a leading lung cancer doctor in Delhi NCR. With an acute understanding of lung cancer treatment and a rich well of knowledge of the advancements in lung cancer treatment, he and his team have successfully created efficient and customized cancer treatment plans for patients suffering from different types of lung cancer.

Original Source 

 

Does obesity complicate cancer treatment?

Since 1975 worldwide obesity has tripled. 

A 2016 report stated that more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, are overweight. Of the 1.9 billion, 650 million were reported to be obese. 

The link between obesity & an increase in cancer risk has been observed. In fact, 1 in 20 cancer cases in the UK is caused by excess weight.

It is beneficial to note that a healthy weight reduces the risk of about 13 different types of cancer. 

In India, about 135 million+ individuals are affected by obesity. And with the advent of socio-economic development in the country, a part of the urban Indian population falls in the category, putting them at a higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer.

Correlation between obesity and cancer

A multitude of researchers has shown through extensive research that excess body fat increases the risk of several cancers including colorectal cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, uterine cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, and pancreatic cancers. 

According to experts, obesity-related cancer can be due to inflammation caused by visceral fat. Visceral fat has large cells, and they are many in the body protecting vital organs. An obese individual has more visceral fat in their body, leaving less room for oxygen. This low oxygen triggers inflammation. Not only that, but excess fat also affects different body processes, including how certain hormones like insulin and estrogen are managed. 

All of this can increase the risk of cancer by indirectly affecting how cells divide & how they die. 

Changes in the populations of immune cells due to diet, & in turn, obesity is also known to increase the risk of cancer. Obesity can reshape cancer cell mechanisms impairing T-cells’ inflammatory functions. It remodels cellular fuel use of tumors, increasing the fatty acid oxidation of cancer cells & reducing the numbers as well as the spatial positioning of CD8+ cells. This, in turn, reduces antitumor immunity.

Obesity and cancer treatment

Top cancer doctors and oncology researchers vouch for the fact that lean cancer patients mostly outlive obese cancer patients. Previously, it was believed to be only because of obesity itself. But today, cancer specialists are realizing that bad outcomes can be tied to mistreatment based on individual requirements. You see, obese patients come with risks that others do not, and that warrants a different treatment approach. 

In this blog, we will discuss the effect of obesity on different cancer treatments. 

• Cancer Surgery

The correlation between obesity & cancer surgery is a mixed bag. In the case of breast, colorectal, and intra-abdominal cancer, no correlation between BMI & short-term or long-term mortality along with major surgical complications has been found. But there is an increased frequency of minor surgical complications, which might increase costs, reduce the quality of life, & delay adjuvant therapy. Studies on prostate cancer, on the other hand, demonstrated prolonged surgical time & greater blood loss in obese patients. The effect of obesity was also correlated with an increased chance of recurrence, poor outcome, and potential need for different adjuvant treatments. 

• Radiation Therapy

Among prostate cancer patients being administered external beam radiation therapy, inferior outcomes due to obesity have been noted. External problems may arise as well; for example, delivering issues, like difficulty with daily set & increased likelihood of cancer location shifting. Not only that but it has also been observed that obese cervical cancer patients can even experience an increased rate of treatment-related toxicity compared to patients in the normal weight range. In breast cancer patients, cancer doctors have seen that a larger breast size & higher BMI can be associated with a higher risk of cute or late dermatitis after radiation.

• Chemotherapy

The dosing of chemotherapy drugs, which is essential in treating cancer, is calculated using BSA or body surface area in adults. Chemotherapy dosing is extremely important in treating cancer because it decides efficacy. Unfortunately, up to 40% of obese patients receive limited chemotherapy dosing, which does not correlate to their actual body weight. Why? Because of toxicity concerns among obese patients due to the higher dose of medication based on their actual body weight. 

Also, obese cancer patients often have comorbidities like vascular disease or diabetes. This increases the chances of peripheral neuropathy. Baseline peripheral neuropathy is often associated with dose-limiting chemotherapy‐induced neurotoxicity.

But a low dose of chemotherapy can increase chances of disease recurrence and mortality, contributing to low survival rates.

• Hormonal Therapy

Endocrine therapy is a common adjuvant treatment for hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers with appropriate hormone receptors. In patients using tamoxifen, no correlation was found with obesity and efficacy or recurrence. But in premenopausal women taking ovarian suppression medication, high BMI was associated with low efficacy of endocrine therapies inhibiting aromatase and promoting the production of estrogen, including from adipose tissue, like anastrozole and goserelin. Aromatase Inhibitors or AI did not give as good results in obese women as they did in leaner women.

• Immunotherapy & stem cell therapy

There is very little information available regarding the efficacy of immunotherapy or stem cell therapy among cancer patients concerning BMI, whether normal or higher.

Does obesity hamper cancer treatment – Conclusion

Further research is needed to get a clearer picture of the correlation between the efficacy of cancer treatment and obesity because there are multiple gaps in the literature. While most research associated BMI with obesity, BMI cannot measure the adiposity of a body, which is important for treatment efficacy. Hence, more research is required in the area. However, the studies conducted so far have given a clear indication that obesity negatively impacts several cancer treatments, the bounds of which we are still discovering.

Note

Dr. Manish Singhal is a leading cancer specialist in Delhi NCR. With an acute understanding of lifestyle choices affecting cancer & cancer treatment, he & his team have successfully created efficient and customized cancer treatment plans for patients suffering from obesity and its many associated issues.

Original Source

Side effects of different lung cancer treatments

 Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. 

With 2.1 million new cases in 2018 alone and 1.8 million deaths, it has affected the lives of many people. 

Since then, it has affected many more lives. 

Primarily, there are two main types of lung cancer-small-cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Out of the two, non-small cell lung cancer or NSCLC is the most common. 

Cancer specialists take various approaches to treat lung cancer. The best-fitted approach depends on several factors, including the type and stage of lung cancer.

NSCLC is usually treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, or a combination of these therapies. Small cell lung cancer, on the other hand, is typically treated with radiation and chemotherapy. 

The right treatment at the right time can mean life or death for a lung cancer patient. While lung cancer treatments have been proven to be highly successful, different treatments come with different side effects. 

With the help of an experienced cancer doctor like Dr. Manish Singhal, offering top-notch lung cancer treatment in Delhi NCR, cancer patients can not only battle the disease but also learn about and cope with the side effects. 

Here we will discuss the side effects of different types of lung cancer treatments. 

Side effects of different lung cancer treatments in india

Though lung cancer treatments have been increasing the cure rate in many patients, even the best lung cancer doctor in Delhi NCR or anywhere else will agree there are some side effects associated with every treatment. Here’s looking at them.

Surgery

While surgery is not an option for all types of lung cancer, it is a viable option for some. Surgery primarily might come with two types of side effects:

• Difficulty in breathing

Coping mechanism:

The best way to cope with breathing issues is to call your cancer doctor, ask for advice or medication, follow the instructions, try relaxation techniques, make lifestyle changes, and practice breathing exercises.

• Chest Pain

For pain, your doctor will suggest pain medication, nerve blocks, or other management techniques. 

Radiotherapy

With a 3-year survival rate of 74% for operable patients and 59% for medically inoperable patients, radiotherapy is often considered by cancer doctors. It’s side effects are:

• Radiation pneumonitis

It is caused by inflammation of the lung caused by radiation. Symptoms can be cough, fever, or chest congestion. 

Coping: 

For most people symptoms of radiation pneumonitis clear out on their own, if not, cancer doctors often treat patients with severe symptoms with corticosteroids. 

• Esophagitis

Esophagitis related to radiotherapy causes inflammation, edema, erythema, and erosion of the mucosal surface of the esophagus. It can cause difficulty in swallowing or chest pain while eating. 

Coping:

The symptoms generally clear out within a few weeks after completion of radiotherapy. 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy has almost doubled the cure rate in some cases of lung cancer, even in later stages. Therefore, it is often one of the treatment options chosen by cancer specialists worldwide. However, it has side-effects. They are:

• Hair Loss

Hair loss is a common side-effect of chemotherapy. Hair can often fall out in clumps or more gradually, varying from person to person going through chemotherapy. 

Coping:

Doctors suggest wearing cooling caps, using mild shampoos, putting less stress on the hair, wearing a hat/scarf, or even wearing a wig. 

• Loss of blood count

Chemotherapy works by destroying cancer cells. Sometimes that might destroy healthy cells or even the bone marrow which produces blood cells. 

Coping:

The blood count will go up if there is a break between chemos. 

• Decreased appetite

People may lose their appetite because of nausea, mouth/throat problems making it painful to eat, drugs that cause people to lose taste, or even depression. The appetite loss can last for a day, a few weeks, or even months.

Coping:

People can cope with it by eating small amounts frequently, scheduling meal times, eating when they're hungry, limiting fluid intake during meals, making meals more appealing, or even avoiding smells or tastes they do not like. 

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, either alone or in combination with other treatments, has demonstrated significant patient improvement. So, it is suggested by many cancer specialists. 

It’s side-effects are:

• Auto-immune diseases

It is one of the safest treatments for lung cancer. However, it can cause auto-immune disease affecting any organ, including but not limited to the brain, lungs, large intestine, liver, or kidneys, in some patients, although that is a rare occurrence (1 in 20).  

Coping:

This is a very rare occurrence but can be treated based on the auto-immune disease. 

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is also a very safe approach for treating lung cancer because while it does block cancer cells, it doesn't damage normal cells vastly. However, 10% of patients may suffer from some side-effects. 

It’s side-effects are:

• Skin Rash

Rashes due to targeted therapy are rarely severe and most of the time clear out on their own. However, for severe cases, people can always choose a coping mechanism that suits them. 

Coping:

To cope with skin rashes, avoid the sun, use mild soap, use SPF, use moisturizer, ask the doctor for help. 

• Lung disease/ difficulty breathing

Breathing difficulty or lung disease is very rare with targeted therapy but it might occur. 

Coping:

Cancer patients should consult with their cancer specialist to cope with this side-effect. 

Defeating lung cancer-side-effects and all

Living with and getting treated for lung cancer can be a life-altering experience. Everybody is different, every cancer patient doesn't have the same story, but with the right treatment, whether they experience one side-effect or the other, they can conquer lung cancer. If you or your loved one is dealing with lung cancer or side-effects due to lung cancer treatment and you need more information or help, you can always consult a top cancer doctor, like Dr. Manish Singhal, the best oncologist in Delhi.

Read More: Latest lung cancer treatments improve the survival rate

Affordable Breast Cancer Treatments in India

 Many years back, cancer was considered to be incurable. While there are many types of cancers, breast cancer cases have been increasing during this decade. Improper awareness and unnecessary shame are making things worse.

People should be adequately informed about breast cancer and its types. Breast cancer is of two main kinds: In-Situ and Invasive. The in-Situ type does not spread to the adjoining tissues. But the Invasive type spreads to the adjacent tissues as well. 

Different breast cancer treatments:-

• Surgery: This is removing cancer tissue and some adjacent healthy tissue to ensure complete removal. Another surgery might be necessary for microscopic cancer cells left behind.

• Radiation therapy: This therapy uses x-rays or other high-energy rays to target and kill the cancer cells.

• Chemotherapy: Intake of drugs through pills or injection, which shrinks the cancer cells and destroys them.

• Hormonal therapy: It cuts off the supply of hormones aiding cancer cell growth, resulting in shrunken or dead cancer tissue.

• Biological therapy: it supports the body’s immune system to fight against the cancer cells. This therapy is also used to regulate the side-effects of cancer treatment.

Cancer treatment can be quite expensive. During the last decade, the cost has risen by 10 %. 

What is the cost of breast cancer surgery in India? 

The cost of the surgery depends on the stage of cancer:

 Stage- I→ 3 lakhs to 4.7 lakhs.

 Stage- II → 4.4 lakhs to 5.5 lakhs.

Stage- III → 5.6 lakhs to 6.8 lakhs.

Breast cancer treatment in Delhi NCR can cost around INR 5-6 lakhs. The treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy, and inspection. Six sessions of chemotherapy can cost up to INR 20 lakhs. Patients should be treated by the best breast cancer doctor in Delhi.

What is the most affordable cancer treatment?

Surgery is the cheapest option. It completely removes the cancer tissue, while chemotherapy and radiotherapy control reduces the growth of cancer cells. Successive chemotherapy sessions cost more than surgery. So, surgeries are preferred over chemotherapy. Chemotherapy sessions are recommended after surgery.

Low-cost breast cancer treatment in India. 

Chemotherapy is much relatively cheap in India. Surgery, radiotherapy, and the investigation are also less expensive.  

Should I consult a doctor before going for cancer treatment? 

Accurate information about breast cancer is necessary to decide the type of surgery. An ECMO gold medalist, Dr. Manish Singhal, a cancer specialist in Delhi, provides the best options for cancer patients. He is the best oncologist in Delhi because he views work as a passion rather than a profession. He believes that prolonged cancer treatment is not safe. It gets more challenging to deal with treatment at advanced stages due to life-threatening factors. 

Cancer Consult India (CCI) assists cancer patients to fight with high spirits and positivity. Dr. Manish Singhal, an oncologist in Noida, supports this initiative to conquer cancer with his expertise and motivating stories. CCI provides 24/7 availability, advanced technology, and modern solutions. Fight cancer under the best consultation and be victorious.  

Also Read: Metastatic Breast Cancer in the Lungs: Symptoms and Diagnosis

Lung Cancer Risk Calculator: New tool to predict lung cancer based on Risk Factors

 Covid-19 has wreaked havoc worldwide, and it has destroyed economies, quarantined the masses, and put everyone in a manic state. Although the virus has caused widespread panic, we ought to fear a deadlier disease, Lung cancer. Lung cancer has more than double the deaths caused by COVID-19. Each year 1.79 million people die due to lung cancer.

• Lung cancer, the worst type of cancer

It causes more deaths every year than the next three most fatal causes of cancer: colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. 1 in 15 men are affected by lung cancer, and 1 in 17 women are affected. Lung cancer is as widespread as Covid-19, yet no one seems to bat an eye. The difference between lung cancer and other cancer types is that it is already too late when people get diagnosed. Forty percent of all lung cancer patients have a metastasized disease at their diagnosis. Thus, making it much more challenging to survive. The five-year survival rate of lung cancer is also at a shockingly low percentage. Only 19 percent of people diagnosed early on survive. For this figure's perspective, the five-year survival rate of prostate cancer is 99 percent, and breast cancer is 90 percent. The numbers show that the best way is to predict the deadly cancer rather than battle it.

• A Revolutionary Lung cancer prediction tool

The solution that comes to mind is better predicting whether you have lung cancer before the cancer is metathesis. Better prediction methods have proven to be useful for early diagnosis and an increased survival rate. The previous models were on the early detection of breast cancer. The earlier models worked well and helped many women get treated. All this data begs the question of how do we calculate lung cancer risk. The proposed systems endgame is to build a software prediction tool that can easily predict the lung cancer risk. The lung cancer prediction tool based on risk factors would analyze the population based on the risk factors. The risk factors include tobacco smoking, second-hand smoke, exposure to radioactive materials, exposure to asbestos, and a family history of lung cancer. 

While creating new software to predict if you have lung cancer, the operation method is a rather lengthy data-heavy procedure. The procedure consists of three stages. In the first stage, the global medical database is analyzed to determine lung cancers common symptoms. In the second stage, medical questionnaires are sent to several doctors and specialists in thoracic tumors to find the most significant lung cancer symptom. In the third stage, medical knowledge from global research projects is analyzed to find the risk of lung cancer by examining available diagnostic factors values. A lung cancer risk calculating tool is designed by the data collected from the three stages.

• The best lung cancer doctor in Delhi NCR

Although prevention is better than cure, if you are diagnosed with lung cancer, hopefully at an early stage, you ought to visit the best lung cancer doctor. At Cancer Consult India, you get the best lung cancer doctors in Delhi NCR. The best Oncologist in Noida, Dr. Manish Singhal.  It is crucial to saving you and your loved one’s life before getting late. With this, you can get the best treatment of lung cancer in Noida.

Advancements And Improvements In Surgery For Cancer In Recent Times

 Surgery is one of the oldest methods of treating cancer. Its invasive nature and limitations urge scientists and doctors to find safer alternatives. Surgery is commonly performed for most types of cancers, except for blood cancer. There are conservative, preservative, and reconstructive surgeries performed with different types of cancers. With medical and technological advancements, and cancer research, cancer treatment is aiming for the least invasive treatments and minimizing the need for surgery.

However, modern technology has brought down the risks involved in surgical procedures for treating cancer, making the recent advancement in surgery as cancer treatment, a beacon of hope.

Surgical Palliation - Enhancements

With the tremendous rise in the technological aspects, palliative procedures have improved significantly, especially for advanced cancers. With advanced techniques like laser coring and endoscopic stenting of the cancer tumor, it can undergo muni am obstruction. Furthermore, these digitally-advanced technologies are also bringing hope for efficient palliation of malignant esophageal perforation, malignant dysphasia, malignant obstructive jaundice, and evening tracheoesophageal fistulae.

Improvement In Systemic Therapy

There are certain risks associated with surgery when it comes to cancer treatment. There are alternatives to surgery that are used to avoid the need for surgery. Modern medicine introduced systemic therapies, which include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. They are non-invasive treatments, which include medications that reach the area affected to treat the site. These advancements reduce the need for surgery altogether. It is also used to shrink the tumor to limit the intensity of the surgery and minimize postoperative complications and discomfort. The overall fall in the risk of surgery is due to the advancement in systemic therapy.

Improvement In Robotic Surgery

While the need for operations persists, the technological developments have improved the risk-benefit ratio and precision of the procedure. Robotic surgery is an advancement in which the doctor uses tools and cameras to view the insides of the body. This decreases pain and blood loss, as well as increases the precision. The doctor controls the robot to reach otherwise hard-to-reach places.

Advanced Surgeries

 

Surgical methods of tumor removal have been a staple in cancer treatment. The brighter side shows us that it is improving with time, giving the patient the benefit of reducing the pain and risks associated with surgery. One need not worry about what is the success rate of surgery for cancer as surgical interventions have always been a form of prescribed treatment and are very safe.

To summarize, proper cancer treatment can only be facilitated by a cancer specialist. One needs to find the best doctor and facility to begin treatment. If you are looking for such a facility in Noida or Delhi NCR, you need not look any further as Dr. Manish Singhal is the trusted name in service. He is considered the best oncologist in Delhi NCR and a cancer specialist in Noida. One need not wonder how effective is surgery as a cancer treatment as Dr. Manish Singhal has been in service for over 11 years as a surgical oncologist, and his operations have seen overwhelming success. His continued service is accessible to all, as he is considered to be the best cancer treatment doctor in Delhi NCR.

Also Read: Latest Developments in Lung cancer treatment Research 2020