Pathways to Healing Lung cancer starts in the lungs but can spread to other regions of the body. While there is no single cure, there are different treatment options that can be used. In this article, we will look at treatment options, as well as symptoms of lung cancer Roughly 1 in 16 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer. While smoking can increase the likelihood of getting a diagnosis, non-smokers are not exempt from this condition. There are many different causes of lung cancer, and people of all ages can be diagnosed. Unfortunately, there is no specific cure for lung cancer. Beating cancer is a little more complicated than taking a few pills or going to a doctor’s office. The disease is more serious and requires more intense intervention techniques. Different Lung Cancer Treatment Options Depending on the progression of the cancer and the patient's general health, a physician may recommend several treatment options. Know that with all treatment options, there is a risk of harsh side effects and a chance that the treatment does not work. Still, these are the best options when it comes to defeating lung cancer, with increased chances of success in cases of early detection. Treatments can be used in combination with one another, or as a standalone option depending on the particular case. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy has been one of the most common treatment options for a long time. It works by using strong chemicals that target rapidly dividing cells. When introduced into your body, chemotherapy drugs will attack all rapidly dividing cells. Unfortunately, these drugs cannot differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells that just happen to be dividing. The side effects of such treatments can be unpleasant, but most reverse when the treatment ends or can be reduced during the treatment. Common side effects include: Nausea/vomiting. Hair loss. Mouth sores. Pain. Bowel disturbances (diarrhea/ constipation). Loss of appetite. Bruising easily. [youmaylike] Harsher and potentially permanent side effects include: Organ damage (heart, lung, kidneys). Nerve damage. Infertility. Heightened risk of a second cancer. Side effects will also vary depending on the type of drug that is used in your treatment and the way you “take in” the drug. The most common chemotherapy drugs for lung cancer include the following: Afatinib. Bevacizumab. Ceritinib. Crizotinib. Erlotinib. Chemotherapy for lung cancer can be done in the following ways: Injected: Most often this is administered through infusions (IV) but can be given through shots. Implanted: Thin wafers containing the drug can be inserted directly into the site of a tumor or surgery. Pills: Pills and capsules containing the drug are sometimes available. Radiation Radiation is another treatment method. Radiation therapy uses beams of energy to damage cells in targeted regions of the body. The intense energy beams aim at precise locations in the body and damage the cells in that region. While this, unfortunately, means that healthy cells will also be attacked, they are often able to “bounce back” from the damage where cancer cells will be killed. As it is a targeted treatment, side effects are often limited to the region in which the treatment was applied. This means that patients can expect skin problems in the area of application as well as fatigue; these are mostly short-term side effects. Specific side effects characterized by treatments aimed at the chest include: Breast soreness. Stiff shoulders. Difficulties swallowing. Respiratory problems. Radiation fibrosis (permanent lung scarring). There is a low chance of developing long-term side effects, such as the development of a second cancer, as an effect of radiation exposure. Surgery If the cancer is caught early enough, then it can be treated by removing the cancerous tissue at the initial site. The operation can only be successful if the cancer has not yet spread to other regions of the body. The side effects of this treatment will depend on the depth of the removal, the nature of the removed tissue, and its size. For example, removing a tiny bit of the lung will not be as hard to recover from as removing a large piece. Other Lung Cancer Treatment Options Other treatments are being developed that aim to keep the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation treatments without the harsh side effects. While some remain experimental, recently emerging treatments, such as immunotherapy, offer the potential to battle lung cancer. Talk to a licensed care physician to get the most valuable recommendations on which cancer treatment is right for you. Everybody has a different experience and treatments are decided on a case-by-case basis.
What is Macular Degeneration?
Macular degeneration is an eye disease, also known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD). This condition can lead to loss of vision, especially for those over 60 years old. The disease is characterized by the thinning of the macular, a subsection of the retina, situated at the back layer of the eye and transmits what the eyes see in the brain through the optic nerve.
There are two types of AMD: wet macular degeneration and dry macular degeneration. Dry macular degeneration is characterized by yellow deposits, also known as drusen, in the macula. The drusen become bigger, increase in number as the disease advances, and then they begin to distort and blur your vision. The light sensitive cells in your macular thin out and die. As the disease progresses, you may develop a blind spot at the center of your vision until you lose central vision.
Wet macular degeneration is characterized by the growth of blood vessels form under the macula. The blood vessels leak blood and other fluids into your retina. This distorts your vision and causes straight lines to look bent. Eventually, the bleeding blood vessels scar, and cause a permanent loss of central vision.
90% of the people with AMD have the dry form even though, in some cases, it develops into the wet form.
Common Symptoms
Macular degeneration usually occurs progressively. Most patients with AMD have no pain, which means the disease is often caught at an advanced stage, having affected both eyes.
Common symptoms can include the following:
- Blurry and dark sections at the center of your vision
- Difficulty recognizing faces
- Distorted visions are causing wrong color perception and objects to appear bent or deformed
- An increasing need for light when reading and increased blurriness of printed text
- Difficulty visually adjusting when you move from a well-lit area to one that’s dimly lit
There are three stages of macular degeneration as follows:
- Early AMD: There is no vision loss. This stage is diagnosed in people with AMD risk factors. Early AMD is characterized by yellow deposit below the retina.
- Intermediate AMD: At this stage, there may be noticeable color changes in the retina, and the yellow deposits beneath it are larger than those in the early stage.
- Late AMD: With late AMD, the patient experiences noticeable vision loss.
Some of the risk factors for macular degeneration include:
- Age: As the name suggests, age is the most significant risk factor for AMD.
- Genetics: People with a family history of AMD are likely to also get it.
- Sex: Women are at a greater risk for developing macular degeneration compared to men.
- Smoking: Smoking and other poor lifestyle choices (such as having high cholesterol, being obese, and consuming saturated fats) can double your risk of developing macular degeneration.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Regular eye tests are necessary to diagnose AMD. The presence of drusen or pigment clumping beneath the retina is an indication of the disease.
The doctor may also show you an Amsler grid to look at. If any of the lines appear wavy, then it can indicate macular degeneration.
If the cause of your AMD is age-related, then the doctor may carry out an angiography or an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) procedure.
With an angiography, the doctor injects dye into a vein in your arm. As the dye reaches and flows through your retina, the doctor uses special equipment to take photographs. The photos will show any new vessels or vessels leaking blood into the macula. With the OCT procedure, the doctor can make the same observations without the use of dye.
Treatment and Management Options
Macular degeneration has no cure. However, there are a few measures you can take to mitigate the progression of the disease. One key step you can take is avoiding smoking, and make sure you have a healthy diet and exercise. You could also protect your eyes from ultra-violet light.
Treatment options for patients may include the following:
- Medications: Drugs prescribed may include ranibizumab (Lucentis), pegaptanib (Macugen), Aflibercept (Eylea), and bevacizumab (Avastin). These are anti-angiogenesis drugs used to inhibit the creation of blood vessels and leaking from the vessels beneath the retina. These drugs are particularly useful for wet macular degeneration and can restore the sight of the patients. However, the patient must take the treatment every time the blood vessels re-occur.
- Laser therapy: This procedure helps destroy abnormal blood vessel growth.
- Photodynamic laser therapy: With this procedure, a doctor injects a light-sensitive drug called verteporfin (Visudyne) into the blood, which is then absorbed into the damaging blood vessels. The doctor then shines a laser into your eye, which destroyed the medication and subsequently damaging the vessels.
- Low vision aids: These are electronic lenses that enlarge the images of things near your vision.
The type of treatment you receive will be based on your individual needs. Always be sure to speak with your doctor if you have questions or concerns, and they will help you create the best treatment plan to help manage your symptoms.