A review on treatment of lung cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. The vast majority (85%) of cases are due to long term smoking. It is increasingly being recognized in India. Historically, the prognosis for individuals diagnosed with lung cancer has been bleak. However, the past 10 years have seen important advances in diagnosis and treatment which have translated into the first improvements seen in lung cancer survival. Lung cancer has long relied on testing for the molecular biomarkers. With increasing prevalence of smoking, lung cancer has reached epidemic proportions in India. It has surpassed the earlier commonest form of cancer, and now is the commonest malignancy in males in many hospitals. In addition to smoking, occupational exposure to carcinogens, indoor air pollution and dietary factors have recently been implicated in the causation of lung cancer. Molecular genetics of lung cancer has opened up new vistas of research in carcinogenesis. Chemotherapy applied as an adjunct with radiation improves survival and quality of life. New anticancer drugs which have emerged during the last decade have showed an improved efficacy – toxicity ratio. This review highlights the major advances in the treatments with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, angiogenesis inhibitors and immunotherapy.