Along with radiation therapy and surgery, chemotherapy is the main treatment for lung cancer. Depending on the diagnosis and indications, it is used as an independent type of treatment or in combination with other methods. The term chemotherapy refers to taking pills or injecting anticancer drugs to suppress the growth of malignant cells and destroy tumors.
General information
Chemotherapy is classified as systemic treatment, since the active substances of the drugs quickly penetrate the circulatory system, and then through it - into all organs, suppressing malignant cells outside and inside them. It is used:
- In the early or late stages of oncology.
- If surgery or radiotherapy does not help the patient, the disease relapses.
- When other types of treatment are not possible.
Objectives of chemotherapy:
- Blocking the division of malignant cells
- Stopping the growth of tumors
- Prevention of metastasis and relapses
- Life extension.
Antitumor drugs are selected for each patient in such a way as to achieve the best result with a minimum of negative consequences for the body. Therapy may consist of only one drug, but more often combinations of several drugs are used.
Each stage of chemotherapy lasts several days, followed by a break to restore the body and mitigate side effects. The total number and duration of therapeutic sessions for lung cancer depends on the diagnosis, characteristics of the patient's condition and response to anticancer drugs.
If the patient is prescribed chemotherapy in the form of taking tablets, then treatment can occur at home with mandatory observation by the attending physician to monitor the condition and correct the regimen if necessary.
Types of drugs
There are many different drugs available for the treatment of cancer, which can effectively suppress the growth of malignant cells. Lung cancer is characterized by a particularly high rate of tumor development and metastasis, so drugs with a powerful toxic effect are used for therapy.
- Preparations based on platinum compounds (Carboplatin, Cisplatin) act on DNA, forming intrahelical cross-links that change its structure and suppress synthesis.
- Erlotinib - tablets with the same active substance, belong to protein kinase inhibitors. They are used for maintenance therapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, if there is no worsening of the oncology after the use of 4 courses of chemotherapy with 1st-line drugs. Erlotinib should not be prescribed for severe liver and kidney damage, hypersensitivity, pregnancy and breastfeeding. It should not be given to children and adolescents under 18 years of age.
To suppress the growth of malignant cells in chemotherapy, drugs based on plants that have a strong toxic effect are actively used. Most of them are so poisonous that medical staff must wear masks and protective clothing when handling medications.
Concomitant treatment
Lung cancer differs from other types of oncology by the rapid development of pathology and the early formation of metastases. The process is usually accompanied by severe pain in the bones and muscles. Strong painkillers are required to relieve them. The most commonly used drugs are opioids (Morphine, Promedol, Tramadol), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, Indomethacin), and analgesics - Celebrex (or Celecoxib).
The treatment regimen with antitumor and symptomatic drugs is periodically changed to prevent addiction or dependence.
Contraindications
Due to the high toxicity of anticancer drugs and strong side effects, they should not be used by patients with severe damage to the liver and kidneys, as well as during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and individual intolerance.
When determining the means for a course of chemotherapy, the doctor proceeds from the individual condition of the patient’s body, the presence of allergies, and heart diseases.
Negative effects
Drugs used in chemotherapy contain substances that have a powerful antitumor effect. The consequences of taking it negatively affect the body’s condition, weakening the immune system and the functioning of many organs.
Main side effects:
- Decrease in the body's defenses. Anticancer drugs can slow down the work of the bone marrow to produce white blood cells, which negatively affects the immune system and the body’s ability to resist various infections. The first signs of deterioration usually appear 7 days after the end of treatment, reaching a maximum after 1.5-2 weeks, after which the level of leukocytes begins to recover. A new course of chemotherapy is prescribed when blood tests show normal white blood cell counts.
- Bruises, hematomas, bleeding. Anticancer drugs often inhibit the production of platelets, which are essential for blood clotting.
- Anemia. Appears due to a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood. The patient develops weakness, lethargy, and fatigue.
- Nausea and vomiting are one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. They can be eliminated with the help of appropriate medications, which are selected by the treating oncologist.
- Soreness of the oral cavity, ulcers. You can cope with them with the help of special rinsing solutions, as well as by correcting your diet, excluding foods that irritate the mucous membrane.
- Hair loss is one of the most common and unpleasant consequences of chemotherapy. Fortunately, this is a temporary phenomenon; the hairline is completely restored after 3-6 months.
In addition to the main consequences of chemotherapy, each patient may have an individual reaction of the body. Therefore, any unpleasant sensations when taking drugs against lung cancer should be reported to your doctor. In modern pharmacology there are many remedies that can quickly cope with unpleasant side effects.
Small doses of painkillers reduce the level of chronic inflammation in tissues.
The results of the study, conducted by scientists from Ohio State University (USA), were presented at the 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer, held from December 4 to 7, 2016 in Vienna (Austria).
The researchers analyzed data from almost 11 thousand people. Information on smoking, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, and other lifestyle information was collected from study participants between 1988 and 1994.
Over 18 years of follow-up, 269 participants died of lung disease, 252 of whom were either former or current smokers. In general, tobacco smoking was present in one way or another in the lives of almost 6 thousand study participants. Calculations showed that for this group of people, regular use of small doses reduces the risk of death from lung cancer by 48%. Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - aspirin and acetaminophen (paracetamol) - did not have such an effect.
The findings suggest that regular use of ibuprofen may serve as a lung cancer prevention measure for smokers at high risk of developing the disease, the researchers concluded.
Researchers have paid attention to the anticancer properties of ibuprofen before.
Another study of the international project Repurposing Drugs in Oncology (ReDO) on the well-known painkiller and anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac.
The anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen was found to have unexpected properties - it was able to stop the growth of cancer cells and may be considered a cure for prostate cancer, some types of colon cancer and other less common cancers.
Ibuprofen, one of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, is one of the most commonly used medications - along with aspirin and paracetamol. Now it has also been discovered to have anti-cancer properties.
Unlike many other medications, ibuprofen comes in two different forms, R and S. Only the S form has anti-inflammatory effects, but the body can “convert” the R form to S through a process known as chiral inversion. It is this process that can help in the fight against cancer - an increased content of the AMACR enzyme, which is responsible for carrying out chiral inversion, was found in cancer cells. The scientists' theory is that if this enzyme is occupied by converting R-ibuprofen into S-ibuprofen, it will no longer have the resources and ability to "help" cancer cells divide. As a result, the spread of cancer is noticeably slowed.
The scientists emphasize that although the relationship between ibuprofen and chiral inversion has been known since the 1970s, it is only now that the proteins that are responsible for specific steps in this process have been identified and how exactly the AMACR enzyme stops the spread of cancer.
Photo from bcliving.ca
The anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen was found to have unexpected properties - it was able to stop the growth of cancer cells and may be considered a cure for prostate cancer, some types of colon cancer and other less common cancers.
Ibuprofen, one of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, is one of the most commonly used medications - along with aspirin and paracetamol. Now, as Medical News Today writes, citing a study by scientists from the University of Bath, it has also been found to have anti-cancer properties.
Unlike many other medications, ibuprofen comes in two different forms, R and S. Only the S form has anti-inflammatory effects, but the body can “convert” the R form to S through a process known as chiral inversion. It is this process that can help in the fight against cancer - an increased content of the AMACR enzyme, which is responsible for carrying out chiral inversion, was found in cancer cells. The scientists' theory is that if this enzyme is occupied by converting R-ibuprofen into S-ibuprofen, it will no longer have the resources and ability to "help" cancer cells divide. As a result, the spread of cancer is noticeably slowed.
The scientists emphasize that although the relationship between ibuprofen and chiral inversion has been known since the 1970s, it is only now that the proteins that are responsible for specific steps in this process have been identified and how exactly the AMACR enzyme stops the spread of cancer.
Comments (8)
27.09.2013 18:49
Well, isn’t it a shame to misinterpret the information so much - ibuprofen did not turn out to be any cure for cancer, much less effective, all that has been established is that it has certain properties that, theoretically, can provide it with some kind of anti-cancer activity. No one has verified how effective such an application will be (or whether it will be effective at all). For several dozens (if not thousands of such “discoveries”) there is one real medicine.
27.09.2013 19:34
Oksana
Why can’t R-ketoprofen (desketoprofen) be used for the same purpose? And it would be correct to write not “unlike many other drugs, ibuprofen exists in two different forms R- and S-”, but just the opposite - like most foam drugs, ibuprofen.... (and further in the text). The process of isolating the active isomer, developed by Japanese scientists at the end of the last century (Nobel Prize for the discovery in 2000), began to be actively used by the pharmaceutical industry only in the last 15 years, mainly for the purpose of “greening” brands, since there is no true clinical superiority of stereoisomeric drugs over racemates. proven. (An exception is the antimicrobial agent ofloxacin - levofloxacin).
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" />Ibuprofen- a well-known antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug, the properties of which must be studied far and wide.
However, recent research has opened up new possibilities for an old analgesic.
It turned out, Ibuprofen reduces the risk of dying from lung cancer in smokers, including former ones.
The results of the work of Dr. Marisa Bittoni from Ohio State University were presented at the 17th IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer in the Austrian capital.
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world.
In the United States, lung cancer accounts for 14% of all cancers. In 2016 alone, about 224 thousand new cases of the disease are expected, and the number of deaths from lung cancer will exceed 158 thousand.
Due to difficulties in treatment and diagnosis, lung cancer is one of the deadliest.
80-90% of lung cancer cases are the result of active or passive smoking.
According to the US CDC, smokers die from lung cancer 15-30 times more often than non-smokers.
Smoking not only causes lung cancer, but also dozens of other serious diseases, including COPD. Today, more than 16 million Americans suffer from smoking-related illnesses.
Early studies showed that toxins from cigarette smoke cause cellular damage and chronic inflammation leading to malignant transformation. Because ibuprofen suppresses inflammation, Dr. Bittoni suggested a preventative role for the drug in former and current smokers.
Ibuprofen reduces the risk of death from lung cancer by 48%
To test whether ibuprofen protected smokers from cancer, Dr. Bittoni's team analyzed data from 10,735 participants in the long-running national survey NHANES III (1988).The health of project participants was monitored for an average of 18 years, collecting data on deaths for 2006 from official sources - the National Death Index.
Using a statistical model of proportional hazards (Cox regression), scientists demonstrated the important role of ibuprofen in reducing the number of deaths associated with lung cancer.
Other NSAIDs, including aspirin, were ineffective.
During the study, 269 participants died from lung cancer, and 252 of them were smokers.
The effect of NSAIDs on mortality from lung cancer was calculated in a group of 5,882 participants: regular use of ibuprofen reduced the likelihood of dying from this disease by as much as 48%.
Dr. Bittoni and her colleagues recognize smoking cessation and a healthy lifestyle as the best way to prevent it, but they also do not recommend discounting the preventive properties of ibuprofen.
Konstantin Mokanov