New Treatment Options for Lung Cancer Patients
Much can change in a decade, including treatments for certain types of cancer. Lung cancer is no exception with scientists continuing their tireless work on new advancements in the research of cancer tumor growth, targeted therapies, and emerging fields of cancer research (i.e., immunotherapy) that are able to diagnose lung cancer earlier, and provide successful treatment even in the advanced stages of the disease.
These recent therapies are having a significant effect on the survival of lung cancer patients:
Targeted therapies
Cancer researchers at Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, are making advancements in targeted therapies designed to analyze the genetic makeup of cancer, and limit the genetic mutations that drive cancer cell growth. As such, new and more precise molecular tests are being developed so proper treatment can be mapped for the patient at the point of diagnosis to improve the success of their cancer therapy.
Combined chemotherapy
Recent clinical trials over the past few years are making chemotherapy drugs (and chemo and radiation used together) safer and more effective by studying patterns of the specific genes within the cancer cells. Ongoing lab studies are testing the response of chemo drugs (i.e, carboplatin and gemcitabine) on once thought unresponsive tumors (with high levels of ERCC1 and RRM1 proteins).
Image guided radiation therapy
A new form of image guided radiation therapy (or IGRT) promises advancements as far as targeting cancerous tumors, and producing few harsh side effects. IGRT makes use of imaging scanners, which allow for minor adjustments and precisely guided radiation therapy.
Video-assisted thoracic surgery
Advancements in cancer surgery have introduced video-assisted thoracic surgery (or VATS), a type of robotic-assisted surgery, in the treatment of small lung tumors. During surgery, a surgeon will sit at a control panel and use robotic arms with long surgical instruments to remove abnormal cells in lung. VATS means less pain, shorter hospital, and less invasive cancer surgery.
Pembrolizumab (Immunotherapy)
Immunotherapy has gained a lot of attention with reason. This cancer treatment trains and uses a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), approved the new immunotherapy drug, Pembrolizumab, to treat the 85% of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with tumors that express PD-L1. This form of immunotherapy boosts the ability of the immune system to pinpoint and fight the binding PD-L1 protein, which blocks PD-1 immune receptors, and allows tumors to grow. According to oncologists at NYU Langone Medical Center, clinical trials of Pembrolizumab have shown promise, decreasing further cancer growth by 50% and reducing patient fatalities by 40% compared to patients treated with traditional chemotherapy.
Cancer vaccines
While only in the clinical trial stage, lung cancer are being tested in patients unable to withstand the harsh side effects of other cancer treatments. These vaccines (i.e., TG4010) are created using components of lung cancer cell proteins (i.e., MUC1), and aim to treat, not prevent lung cancer, by strengthening immune response.
