Inoperable lung cancer: What to know – Medical News Today

Inoperable lung cancer may refer to different types of lung cancer that doctors cannot treat with surgery. They may also use the term unresectable lung cancer.

Although a diagnosis of inoperable lung cancer may feel devastating, it does not mean the same as a terminal diagnosis.

Cancer does not respond to treatment in terminal cancer, and doctors have no cure. Conversely, with inoperable cancer, doctors have various other treatments that can improve a persons symptoms and slow down disease progression.

This article looks at inoperable lung cancer, the reasons why surgery is not a viable option, and alternative treatment choices.

No single factor makes lung cancer inoperable, and no two cases are the same.

However, because lung cancer surgery is complex and can have severe effects on other aspects of a persons health, surgeons must carefully consider the following factors:

Surgery for lung cancer has the most chance of success when cancer is in the early stages and has not spread.

However, one of the challenges doctors face is that lung cancer symptoms do not usually appear until the disease is at a late stage. In these cases, doctors may recommend other forms of cancer treatment instead of surgery.

There are two main types of lung cancer and surgeons may consider both as inoperable depending on the above factors.

This is the most common form of lung cancer, making up around 8 in 10 cases. It has three subtypes:

Sometimes called oat cell cancer, SCLC makes up around 1015% of all lung cancers. It grows and spreads faster than NSCLC, meaning that for 7 in 10 people, cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis.

However, because cancer grows quickly, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are usually good treatment options.

Inoperable means that surgery is not a viable option and does not mean the same as terminal. Doctors may not be able to cure the cancer, but they can provide treatment that slows its growth, eases symptoms, and allows an individual to live longer.

Additionally, research into finding the best therapies for lung cancer treatment continues. For example, a 2017 study looked at using radiation therapy alongside a newly formulated chemotherapy regime. The researchers found that the new protocol improved survival rates in people with metastatic NSCLC by up to one year.

Thanks to advances in medicine, lung cancer treatment does not now rely on surgical control of the disease.

Doctors may suggest the following treatment options for individuals with inoperable lung cancer:

A persons outlook depends on the type of lung cancer and the stage at diagnosis. It may also depend on their general health.

In the United States, the overall 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is 21.7%, according to the National Cancer Institute. This means that about 1 in 5 people diagnosed with lung cancer live for 5 years or longer after diagnosis.

This 5-year survival rate is 25% overall for non-small-cell lung cancer and 7% overall for small-cell lung cancer.

Five-year survival rates for people who have NSCLC are:

Five-year survival rates for people who have SCLC are:

Inoperable lung cancer is lung cancer that surgeons cannot remove. Surgery is the best option for localized lung cancer that has not yet spread. However, doctors often diagnose lung cancer at a later stage when it has already spread, meaning that surgery is no longer an option.

Sometimes, lung cancer is inoperable because of the tumors location or because an individual has other health conditions that affect their breathing or mean their general health is poor.

Although a diagnosis of inoperable lung cancer is serious, doctors still have various options for treatments that can ease symptoms, prolong life, and may shrink tumors. Potential treatment options include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and photodynamic therapy using lasers.

Additionally, researchers are continuing to seek new therapies that can help people with inoperable lung cancer live longer.

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Inoperable lung cancer: What to know - Medical News Today