Current possibilities and limitations of chemotherapy

05/2020

Prof. MUDr. Jana Skřičková, CSc.

Klinika nemocí plicních a tuberkulózy LF MU a FN Brno

SUMMARY

Worldwide, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in both men and women (11.6% of the total number of newly diagnosed cancers) and is the most common cause of cancer deaths (1.8 million deaths, i.e. 18.4% of total number of cancer deaths). The basic treatment modalities for lung cancer include surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted treatment and immunotherapy. Combination chemotherapy is a basic and necessary treatment modality for all patients with small cell carcinoma. Chemotherapy also plays an important role in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer during biological treatment and immunotherapy. It is used in adjuvant, neoadjuvant treatment and it is administered concomitantly with radiotherapy or it can follow it. Palliative chemotherapy, maintenance chemotherapy and metronomic chemotherapy are also important.

Key words

lung carcinoma, small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), chemotherapy