Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Signs – Promising medical advances are changing the way oncologists and surgeons treat people with lung cancer. It can be overwhelming to hear that you or a family member has lung cancer, but today there is more hope than ever. Treatment plans can now be customized or personalized for each specific subtype of a patient’s lung cancer, with the goal of prolonging survival and potentially improving quality of life.

This article reviews major developments in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with lung cancer, focusing on the importance of biomarker research. This will provide patients with the knowledge to help them work with their healthcare team so that treatment plans are tailored to them. Much of the information, ideas, and recommendations in this article come from a group of global experts in lung cancer advocacy who belong to the Global Lung Cancer Coalition (GLCC), an alliance of patient organizations working to improve understanding of lung cancer. cancer and improving lung cancer patient outcomes (see Table 1).

Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Signs

In February 2018, experts from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, and the European Union gathered in Cambridge, Massachusetts to participate in a GLCC roundtable sponsored by Takeda Oncology. Panelists discussed the unique needs of lung cancer patients; challenges related to access to biomarker testing worldwide; and the value of using biomarker test results to guide treatment decisions.

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This article is divided into 3 parts. The first part discusses lung cancer and its different subtypes, as well as the types of biomarker tests and why they are important. The second part highlights the thoughts and ideas of GLCC roundtable participants on patient education and access to lung cancer care worldwide. The final section provides practical advice for patients diagnosed with lung cancer and their caregivers on how to engage with the care team regarding biomarker testing and treatment choices.

Lung cancer begins when abnormal cells in the lungs grow out of control. However, the term “lung cancer” is very broad. There are different stages and forms (or subtypes) of lung cancer. Lung cancer can present differently in different people depending on factors such as stage and subtype.

When lung cancer is diagnosed and treated at an early stage (before it has spread), the chances of treatment success are higher than in later stages. So when oncologists “diagnose” a patient’s cancer, they want to know whether and how far the cancer has spread from its original source. Figure 1 shows the 4 main stages of lung cancer

Lung Cancer Treatment

Oncologists and surgeons use information about lung cancer stages to help decide which treatments (surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or other targeted cancer drugs) are most appropriate.

As oncologists, surgeons and other healthcare professionals develop treatment plans for lung cancer patients, knowledge is power. The more they learn about the specific makeup of a patient’s tumor, the more likely they are to target the cancer with a specific type of treatment.

This means that in addition to staging a patient’s lung cancer based on its size, location, and spread, doctors also take a sample of the lung cancer tissue itself.

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Tissue from a patient’s lungs is usually obtained by biopsy or after surgical removal (or resection) of a tumor.

Remember that lung cancer is not one disease. There are several types (subtypes) of lung cancer, and each one behaves differently.

Oncologists use an advanced tumor exam to determine the specific category or subtype of a patient’s lung cancer, which helps them make the best treatment decisions.

Pdf) Non Small Cell Lung Cancer And Its Treatment

There are two main types of lung cancer based on the size, shape, and appearance of the cancer cells under a microscope: (1) small cell lung cancer and (2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). About 85% of people with lung cancer have NSCLC.

NSCLC also has several subcategories. To find out which subcategory of NSCLC a patient has, doctors perform 2 types of tests: pathology tests (or tissue structure tests) and biomarker tests.

Pathological tests are performed by doctors who look at the histology (appearance) of NSCLC cells under a microscope. These doctors (pathologists) are experts in cancer diagnosis. They focus on the size and shape of the cells to determine whether a patient has squamous NSCLC (about 30%) or non-squamous NSCLC (about 70%).

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This is often associated with a history of smoking and is usually found in the center of the lungs, near the main airways or bronchi.

Adenocarcinoma, the most common subtype of NSCLC, begins in the cells that line the lungs.

Scientific advances in recent years have allowed cancer specialists to obtain more detailed and accurate information so that they can personalize therapy for each patient. In addition to studying the histology of NSCLC, whether squamous or non-squamous, cancer specialists also examine NSCLC biomarkers.

Small Cell Vs. Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

A biomarker is a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is indicative of a normal or abnormal process, condition, or disease.

Biomarkers are used to see how well the body is responding to treatment for a disease or condition. For lung cancer patients, biomarker tests can look for specific characteristics. After the pathologist shares the biomarker results with the oncologists, the team can consider using targeted therapies that may have a better chance of success.

It is important to understand that the language cancer specialists use when talking about biomarker testing can vary from specialist to specialist. “Biomarker tests”, “molecular tests” and “genetic tests” are essentially the same thing. Oncologists and other medical professionals often use these terms interchangeably.

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Gene mutations are one type of biomarker. These are changes that occur in the genetic “plan” or DNA of the cell (Table 2).

For example, people with prostate cancer may have high levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in their blood. Blood tests can show whether these LDH levels decrease during cancer treatment, allowing doctors and patients to find out whether the cancer treatment is working.

Patients with NSCLC may also be tested for PD-L1, a protein that can help determine whether a patient’s tumor will respond well to certain immunotherapy drugs.

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Today, more than 75% of patients with NSCLC, especially adenocarcinomas, have genetic alterations that can be addressed by oncologists with one or more available drug therapies that target the identified mutation.

For other NSCLC patients whose genetic mutations do not yet have an approved treatment, ongoing research is focused on finding effective treatment options.

A common mutation in NSCLC can occur in the gene that controls the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

Lung Cancer Symptoms

EGFR is a protein found on the surface of cells in the body, including cancer cells. As

The gene is mutated, the EGFR proteins on the cell surface become overactive and cause rapid growth of cancer cells.

Positive” NSCLC. Drugs known as EGFR inhibitors (or blockers) are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency and other regulatory bodies worldwide and can be offered to patients with

Stages Of Lung Cancer

In other types of NSCLC, cancer growth is partially caused by rearrangement of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (

A gene rearrangement means that a gene has been fused with another gene to create a new gene. In some types of lung cancer

Treatment Options For Small Cell And Non Small Cell Lung Cancer

And less known mutations are recommended for all patients with NSCLC that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic NSCLC), including adenocarcinoma, large cell lung cancer, and unknown subtypes.

Drugs called ALK inhibitors are available in the United States and Europe, as well as in other parts of the world, and are an option for patients with

For these patients, several factors, such as genetic susceptibility and exposure to cancer-causing chemicals (such as secondhand smoke, air pollution, radon, or asbestos), may contribute (Figure 4).

Stage 3 Lung Cancer

Non-smokers diagnosed with NSCLC are usually diagnosed at a younger age and may have certain genetic changes, including

Doctors use many types of treatment for lung cancer patients, including radiation, surgery, and drugs such as chemotherapy. Although effective for many patients, these treatments can be difficult to tolerate, in part because they often destroy normal, healthy cells in the process of destroying cancer cells. Today, with a more complete understanding of how cancer cells behave, researchers have developed drugs that target specific genetic changes in NSCLC, including specific mutations and abnormal proteins.

The medical community now understands that blocking certain internal communication or signaling pathways in cancer cells can slow or stop the growth of those cells. Using this knowledge, unique drugs have been developed that can block or “suppress” specific signaling pathways in cancer cells. As a group, these drugs are called “targeted” therapies.

How Lung Cancer Progresses By Stage

This means that some patients with NSCLC (and some patients with other cancers) can now be treated in more precise ways. This idea is also called “personalized” medicine. The concept of personalized medicine means that doctors use the right treatment for the right disease, for the right patient, at the right time.

The GLCC is a coalition of dedicated patient organizations

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