Lung Cancer Treatment in New Jersey

Surgery is still considered the standard for treating early-stage lung cancer. Removing the tumor and surrounding lung tissue margin gives the best chance for cure when the lung cancer is confined to the lungs. Your surgeon removes the lung cancer with a margin of healthy tissue. This may be performed by robotic-assisted surgery or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Surgical resection of lung cancer is generally performed as:

• Lobectomy: removal of an entire lobe of the lung (there are three lobes on the right and two on the left). Most common surgery performed for lung cancer.
• Pneumonectomy: Removal of an entire lung.
• Segmentectomy: remove a large portion of the lung but not the entire lobe
• Wedge Resection: removing a small piece of the lung that contains the tumor

If you have a larger lung cancer or it has spread from the lungs, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy or radiation.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. It may be given intravenously through a vein or taken orally. Chemotherapy can be used before surgery to shrink the tumor (for larger tumors), or it can be used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Radiation therapy used x-rays and protons to kill cancer cells. It is usually used in combination with chemotherapy for locally advanced lung cancer. It can also be used for focused therapy (stereotactic body radiotherapy), where there is maximum effect on the cancer cells with minimal injury to normal, healthy lung tissue. This type of radiation is usually used in people who have small lung cancers who can't undergo surgery.

Targeted drug therapy focuses on specific gene abnormalities present within cancer cells, causing them to die.

Your treatment plan is individualized based on the type and stage of your cancer and your overall health. The main options include:

• Surgery: The standard for early-stage lung cancer to remove the tumor.
• Chemotherapy: Uses drugs to kill cancer cells, often before surgery to shrink a tumor or after surgery to kill any remaining cells.
• Radiation Therapy: Uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells, sometimes in combination with chemotherapy or as a focused therapy for those who cannot have surgery.
• Targeted Drug Therapy: Focuses on specific genetic abnormalities within cancer cells to stop them from growing.

Surgery is considered the standard for treating early-stage lung cancer when the tumor is confined to the lungs, as it offers the best chance for a cure. The most common types of surgery are:

• Lobectomy: Removal of an entire lobe of the lung (the most common procedure).
• Pneumonectomy: Removal of an entire lung.
• Segmentectomy or Wedge Resection: Removal of a smaller portion of the lung containing the tumor.

If you are not a candidate for surgery, there are other effective treatments. For patients with small lung cancers, a focused form of radiation called stereotactic body radiotherapy can be used to deliver maximum effect on the cancer with minimal injury to healthy tissue. Additionally, chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy are used to treat lung cancer, especially in more advanced cases or when surgery is not an option.