Recent Advancements in Lung Cancer Treatment

Some recent advances in lung cancer treatments are being used for in some hospitals in Ireland and the UK. They are not available in all hospitals because they need specialist equipment and skills. Your doctor will let you know if they are available and suitable for you.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy
This is like external beam radiotherapy but the beams are more accurate. The dose going to the tumour is very high, while the dose going to nearby healthy cells is very low. This means there are less side-effects. The treatment itself does not take very long, but it will take a while to get you into the right position. A special body frame helps to keep you still and prevent the lung tumour moving when you are breathing. You lie in a plastic bag like a sleeping bag on a type of beanbag. A vacuum sucks out the air to make a precise mould of your body.

Radiofrequency Ablation
Your doctor puts a needle into the tumour with the help of a CT scan. Radio waves then pass through the needle and heat and destroy the tumour. Radiofrequency ablation is only used in very early stage lung cancer.

Cryotherapy/Cryosurgery
Cryotherapy is the use of a special device called a probe to freeze and destroy the lung tumour. The probe delivers liquid nitrogen to the tumour to freeze it. Cryotherapy can only be used on small amounts of tumour. Cryotherapy is also known as cryosurgery.

PDT
Photodynamic therapy is the use of a light source and light-sensitive drugs to kill cancer cells. These drugs are injected into a vein. Using a bronchoscope, a laser light is aimed at the tumour. The light-sensitive drugs react to the light and destroy the tumour. PDT is rarely used for lung cancer.

Diathermy
Diathermy is the use of an electric current to destroy a lung tumour. The electric current is passed through a needle into the tumour. Diathermy is also rarely used for lung cancer.