How to treat a chemo-resistant lung cancer?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am contacting you on behalf of someone diagnosed with lung cancer. I need further treatment guidance. The treatment is getting too expensive. I need guidance based on the reports attached for further proper treatment. The condition has been for a year. The patient cannot eat or drink for seven days. If it tries to eat, throws up, and vomiting persists.

Weight loss chemotherapy has been given 27-28 times until now. But, no difference. Kindly guide the correct treatment path based on the reports attached.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

According to your statement, the patient has had lung cancer called metastatic adenocarcinoma, and despite taking chemotherapy, there is no improvement. According to the patient's ultrasound (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity), a small, rounded lesion in the left lobe of the liver has a possibility of a metastatic lesion and mild left pleural effusion.

The patient is on a medication called Crizalk (Crizotinib) 250 mg, part of the chemotherapy procedure. It is used to treat non-small cell carcinoma and prevent the spread of malignant tumors to different body parts. But the amount of time needed for this medication to show its effectiveness is uncertain. So, they should not stop taking this medication without consulting their oncologist.

A targeted drug should focus on the genetic mutation that is responsible for lung cancer. Sometimes, chemotherapy can be added. Immunotherapy can be added, too. If possible, then surgical intervention can be done as it is the first-line treatment option for lung adenocarcinoma.

What happens when standard chemo no longer controls the cancer? Radiotherapy is also a treatment option for lung adenocarcinoma. Even in some cases, a combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery can be applied for lung adenocarcinoma. Talk with their oncologist about other treatment options besides chemotherapy.

A team of oncologists, immunologists, radiotherapy specialists, and surgeons should be made to decide the appropriate treatment plan, as the ongoing chemotherapy is not effective.

I hope this helps.

Please revert in case of further queries.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Thank you for joining again.

First of all, in some cases, metastatic adenocarcinoma can be cured, but most commonly, treatment does not cure carcinoma. Oncologists can treat metastatic carcinoma to slow its progress. Even after the development of metastatic carcinoma, it is possible to live for many years with certain types of cancer. If the lung cancer is not curable, then it can be treated. But it is important to select the most effective treatment at first.

Oncologists usually start chemotherapy to slow the progression of metastatic adenocarcinoma and stop the spread of carcinoma to other parts of the body. As chemotherapy is not adequate for the patient and cannot prevent the spread of the lung cancer to other parts of the body, the most effective treatment for the patient's metastatic adenocarcinoma should be selected. As the cost of treatment for cancer is very high, the appropriate cancer treatment should be chosen first by a team of oncologists, radiotherapy specialists, immunologists, and surgeons.

Then the treatment for carcinoma should be restarted. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgical intervention, or a combination of these may be effective for the metastatic adenocarcinoma. Suppose a team of doctors comes together and decides the best treatment option for the metastatic adenocarcinoma. In that case, the prevention of the spread of carcinoma can be possible, and symptoms of lung cancer can be subsided.

I hope I have answered your question.

Let me know if you want me to assist you further.

Thank you.