What medicine should be taken for conservative treatment of lung cancer?
In recent years, the incidence of lung cancer has increased year by year, and conservative treatment (ie, non-surgical treatment) has become an important choice for many patients. Drug therapy is one of the core means of conservative treatment, especially for advanced or inoperable patients. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days to introduce in detail the commonly used drugs and their mechanisms of action for conservative treatment of lung cancer to help patients and their families better understand the treatment options.
1. Classification of commonly used drugs for conservative treatment of lung cancer
The drugs for conservative treatment of lung cancer mainly include targeted drugs, immunotherapy drugs and chemotherapy drugs. The following are detailed classifications and representative drugs of several types of drugs that have been hotly discussed in the past 10 days:
| drug type | Representative medicine | Mechanism of action |
|---|---|---|
| Targeted drugs | Gefitinib, Osimertinib | Target specific gene mutations (such as EGFR, ALK) to inhibit tumor growth |
| immunotherapy drugs | Pembrolizumab, nivolumab | Activate the immune system to attack cancer cells |
| chemotherapy drugs | Cisplatin, pemetrexed | Kills rapidly dividing cancer cells through cytotoxicity |
2. Latest progress in targeted drugs
Targeted drugs have been a popular direction in the treatment of lung cancer in recent years. According to discussions in the past 10 days, osimertinib (Tagrisso) has become the focus of patients' attention due to its significant efficacy against EGFR T790M mutation. In addition, crizotinib and aletinib, which target the ALK fusion gene, are also widely recommended due to their high response rates.
| target | Drug name | Applicable people |
|---|---|---|
| EGFR mutations | Osimertinib | EGFR T790M mutation-positive patients |
| ALK Fusion | Crizotinib | ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer patients |
| ROS1 rearrangement | Entrectinib | ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer patients |
3. Selection and precautions of immunotherapy drugs
Immunotherapy is a breakthrough in recent years, especially PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) have become hot topics due to their significant survival benefits. However, immunotherapy may also cause immune-related adverse reactions (such as pneumonia, colitis), which requires close monitoring.
| Drug name | Indications | Common side effects |
|---|---|---|
| pembrolizumab | Non-small cell lung cancer with high PD-L1 expression | fatigue, rash |
| Nivolumab | Second-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer | diarrhea, pneumonia |
4. Application and combination of chemotherapy drugs
Chemotherapy remains the basic method of conservative treatment of lung cancer, especially for patients without clear driver gene mutations. Cisplatin combined with pemetrexed is one of the standard regimens for advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. In recent discussions, albumin-bound paclitaxel has also received attention due to its lower rate of allergic reactions.
| chemotherapy regimen | Applicable type | Common adverse reactions |
|---|---|---|
| Cisplatin+pemetrexed | non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer | Nausea, bone marrow suppression |
| Carboplatin + Paclitaxel | Squamous non-small cell lung cancer | hair loss, neurotoxicity |
5. Hot discussions on auxiliary treatment with traditional Chinese medicine
In the past 10 days, the topic of auxiliary treatment of lung cancer with traditional Chinese medicine has also triggered widespread discussion. Some patients try to use traditional Chinese medicines such as Ganoderma spore powder and astragalus to enhance their immunity. However, they should be aware that traditional Chinese medicine cannot replace mainstream treatment, and they need to communicate with their doctors to avoid drug interactions.
| Chinese medicine name | Potential role | Things to note |
|---|---|---|
| Ganoderma spore powder | Enhance immunity | May affect coagulation function |
| Astragalus | Supplement Qi and strengthen the body | Avoid use with immunosuppressants |
6. Summary and suggestions
The selection of drugs for conservative treatment of lung cancer needs to be based on the patient's specific conditions (such as genetic testing results, PD-L1 expression levels) and an individualized plan. The development of targeted drugs and immunotherapy has brought more hope to patients, but chemotherapy is still an important method. Patients should take medications under the guidance of professional doctors and undergo regular reviews to evaluate efficacy and side effects.
The content of this article is based on the hot spots across the Internet in the past 10 days and is intended to provide reference information. Please refer to the clinician's recommendations for specific treatment options.
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