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The treatment recommended by your cancer specialist will depend on your type of lung cancer, whether the disease has spread and if so, to what extent, and which treatment preferences you have. In the discussions with your treating doctor, the specialist will suggest a treatment concept based on scientific evidence, backed up by the best clinical practice standards. If your treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach, e.g. chemotherapy and radiation therapy, your oncologist will ask that respective clinical specialists participate in these discussions. Depending on the recommended treatment, you will be admitted as an inpatient or attend treatment sessions as an outpatient in the CIO Outpatient Department. To ensure that you have a clear understanding of your treatment, our medical staff and Patient Navigators will answer all your questions.

In principle, there are four different treatment options which, where appropriate may be combined:

The Operation (Surgery)

The approach towards an operation is guided by the size and location of the tumour. The objective of surgery is its complete removal. 

Prerequisites For An Operation:

• The cancer must be localised and without the presence of metastases.
• You must be in good general health in order to undergo surgery.
• Post operatively, the remaining partial lung must be sufficient to ensure the gas exchange for the entire body.
• You must have no associated additional severe diseases present.
• Surgery must ensure that no other important organs in close proximity to the tumour are compromised.

Prior to an operation, our specialists will explain what is going to happen to you. During this discussion, there will be ample opportunity to clarify all your questions with our oncologist and the surgeon. 

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is, like surgery, only a locally effective therapy. Radiation therapy can also be administered in cases where the cancer has spread or for other reasons surgery is not possible. For healthy tissue to regenerate from the exposure to radiation, this treatment modality is given over many ‘sittings’ and with small radiation dosages at a time. Radiation therapy is usually given in the outpatient setting of the Clinic or Poly Clinic for Radiation Therapy. The actual radiation only lasts for a few minutes.        

Prior to commencing radiation therapy, you will be informed by our experts as to why this treatment is necessary and which adverse affects you might experience. You will have ample opportunity to ask questions and clarify any issues with your oncologist or radiation therapist.
Further information about adverse affects are available here. 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy refers to the treatment of cancer with pharmaceutical compounds (drugs) which slow down rapid growing cells. These are mainly cancer cells. Chemotherapy is given  when the cancer has already spread and is inoperable,  or additionally prior to an operation. The latter options are referred to by your oncologist as ‘neoadjuvant’ chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is administered over a period of several treatment sessions which are called ‘cycles’. Each treatment  cycle is followed by a recovery period. Usually, a chemotherapy cycle lasts 21 to 28 days and the initial treatment typically comprises 4-6 cycles.  
As the drugs are usually administered via the blood stream, side effects may manifest in any part of the body. Your treating doctor will explain all aspects of possible side effects, and the ways in which your symptoms  can be alleviated. If you wish to seek advice and support from a self-help group or want to take up any service offered by Haus LebensWert, please contact our Pilots. They will provide you with all essential contact information.

Cancer Therapies With ‚Targeted Drugs‘ 

Impressive advances in genome analysis have made it possible to develop a new class of cancer drugs.  These medicines act specifically on sites of impaired information transfer within cancer cells, and these substances are therefore also called ‘targeted drugs’.

The targeted therapy with so called ‘biologicals’ is a new approach in the treatment of cancer and is based on the principle of determining specific  features and characteristics of cancer cells not found in healthy human body cells. Scientists have discovered that, for the most part, cancer cells show changes in their genetic material which experts call mutation. The development of drugs which target cancer cells but  spare healthy  cells, is based on this knowledge.  The drugs can also be used in the treatment of lung cancer. Your treating oncologist will inform you of the scope of these therapies and as with all other treatment options, discuss this in detail with you.

Additional information on substances used in the targeted cancer therapy is available here.

Alternative Treatment Methods in Cancer Management

In addition to the treatment you receive in CIO, you may also have an interest in alternative and supplementary methods used in cancer management. The Cancer Information Service provides a variety of genuine service offers and information on  outside school medicine . You can read more about methods outside traditional medicine at the following link: www.krebsinformationsdienst.de/themen/behandlung/unkonv-methoden-index.php.