In the battle for lung cancer, early detection often means more options and a higher survival rate. However, when lung cancer progresses to an advanced stage, the situation becomes complicated. Faced with such a diagnosis, manyPatients and their families share a common question: "Why can't surgery be done to remove the tumor directly?" "Behind this question lies a desire for life, hope for the future, and trust in current medical treatments.
When lung cancer progresses to an advanced stage, why is surgery not the first choice? The scientific principle behind this is the spread and metastasis of tumors, which is not only complex but also insidious, which directly determines the choice of strategy.
Tumour spread: hidden danger beyond the lungs.
In advanced lung cancer, the tumour cells are no longer confined to the area of the lung where they first grew. They act like prisoners escaping from prison, spreading themselves to the rest of the body through two main escape routes—the lymphatic system and blood. Once the tumor cells settle in a new location, what is known as metastases is formed. These metastases are a major obstacle to surgical removal, as they mean that the cancer is no longer a single one.
1. A lump that can be simply removed.
Understanding Transfer: It's Not Just the Battle of the Lungs.
The process of metastasis is a complex challenge in the management of lung cancer. As tumour cells migrate to other parts of the body, such as bones, liver, or brain, they continue to grow and multiply in these new environments. This not only increases the complexity of the procedure, but also greatly reduces the success rate of the operation. This is because even if the original tumor can be removed, metastases in other parts of the body may continue to grow, leading to further deterioration of the disease.
Detection and Monitoring: Critical Steps
Understanding the spread and metastasis pathways of lung cancer is essential to developing an effective plan. Take advantage of advanced medical treatmentUsing imaging techniques such as CT scans, MRI and PET scans, doctors are able to track the spread of tumor cells and identify the location of metastases. This information plays an irreplaceable role in assessing the overall picture of the disease, developing personalized plans and results.
Moving Forward: The Power of Integration.
Faced with the problem of metastasis of advanced lung cancer, surgery is no longer a single solution. A more holistic approach is integration, combining non-surgical means such as chemotherapy, targeting, and immunity to attack tumor cells in all directions. This approach aims to control the progression of the disease, reduce symptoms, and improve the patient's quality of life while prolonging survival.
In the complex maze of advanced lung cancer, the overall health of patients is an insurmountable threshold. Unlike healthy patients, it is easy to step over your handsAt this threshold, the constitution and concomitant diseases of patients with advanced lung cancer have become the key factors in determining whether they can undergo surgery.
Weakened constitution and increased complications
For patients with advanced lung cancer, the weakening of physical constitution is not just a single problem. It involves a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the wasting nature of the cancer itself, the results of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and other chronic diseases that the patient may have, such as abnormal glucose metabolism, increased systemic arterial blood pressure, etc. The combination of these problems significantly reduces the patient's ability to undergo surgery.
Lung function and surgical risks.
In particular, the weakening of lung function has a direct impact on the decision to proceed with surgery**. The trauma to the lungs and the requirements of postoperative lung function are a great challenge for patients with pre-existing respiratory dysfunction. In such cases, even if surgery can successfully remove the tumor, the postoperative recovery and the decline in quality of life have become issues that patients and their families need to ponder.
With the deepening of medical research and the advancement of technology, non-surgical methods - such as chemotherapy, targeted and immunization - have become a powerful tool to prolong the survival of patients and improve the quality of life.
Chemotherapy vs. Targeting**: Combined Frontline.
Chemotherapy, as a traditional means of cancer, is still an effective option for advanced lung cancer in some cases. And targeting, with its targeted attack on specific cancer cell growth factors, provides patients with a relatively smaller** option. Especially for those patients with specific gene mutations, targeting** has shown significant efficacy.
Immunity**: The Dawn of New Hope
Immunity**, a breakthrough in the field of cancer in recent years, attacks cancer by activating the patient's own immune systemcells, bringing new hope to patients with advanced lung cancer. Compared with traditional methods, immunity not only improves the survival of patients, but also greatly improves the quality of life of patients.
Comprehensive**: Individualized choice.
When faced with advanced lung cancer, there is no one-size-fits-all panacea. Each patient's condition characteristics, gene mutations and physical conditions are different, which requires the medical team to formulate an individualized and comprehensive plan according to the specific situation of the patient. This may include chemotherapy, targeted**, immune** alone or in combination, and psychological and nutritional support for the patient.