Both men and women get lung cancer, and it is currently the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Symptoms of lung cancer usually don't show up in the cancer's earliest stages. Some symptoms include headache, bone pain, hoarseness, wheezing, chest pain, weight loss, shortness of breath, coughing up blood and a "smoker's cough." Smoking is still the major cause of lung cancer; however, lung cancer still does affect people who do not smoke and who are not exposed to secondhand smoke. Doctors believe exposure to radon gas, asbestos, having a family history of lung cancer, excessive alcohol use and other lung diseases may predispose a person to developing this cancer. (Source: Mayo Clinic)
TRADITIONAL TREATMENT METHODS: Traditional treatment options include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy, vaccine therapy, laser therapy, photodynamic therapy, cryosurgery, electrocautery and watchful waiting. In some cases, patients choose not to undergo any treatment for fear that the side effects will outweigh the benefits. Surgery options include wedge resection to remove a small section of the lung, segmental resection to remove a larger portion of the lung, lobectomy to remove the entire lobe of one lung and pneumonectomy to remove an entire lung. (Source: National Cancer Institute)
CYBERKNIFE: CyberKnife is a robotic, radiosurgery system, which offers a non-invasive alternative to surgery for cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. The CyberKnife treatment delivers a high-dose of radiation onto tumors with accuracy. The CyberKnife has unlimited reach and can treat a range of tumors and cancers throughout the body such as those of the prostate, lung, brain, liver, kidney, pancreas and spine. The CyberKnife involves no cutting and is the world's first robotic system designed to treat tumors throughout the body. The CyberKnife is an option for people who are considered "inoperable" or have surgically complex tumors. The CyberKnife system uses image guidance software that constantly adjusts to treat the patients' tumors while in motion. (Source: Cyberknife.com)
? For More Information, Contact:
Cheryl Savage
Georgetown University Hospital
Washington, DC
(202) 444-4639
