Radiation therapy is widely used in small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer is divided into two stages – localized and extensive. Limited-stage small cell lung cancer is when the tumor is in only one lung, and extensive-stage small cell lung cancer is when the tumor has spread to both lungs or other parts of the body. Depending on the stage of small cell lung cancer, radiotherapy is used in the following ways:
① In localized small cell lung cancer, radiotherapy can be used concurrently with chemotherapy, and this therapy has also been used. It is called “concurrent chemoradiotherapy”. At this time, radiotherapy is usually started in the first or second cycle of chemotherapy (that is, the first or second chemotherapy);
② For patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer , and patients with localized small cell lung cancer who cannot tolerate concurrent chemoradiotherapy, radiotherapy can also be applied after chemotherapy; ③ Due to the strong invasiveness of small cell lung cancer , prone to distant metastasis, in order to reduce the risk of cancer cell metastasis to the brain, most patients with localized small cell lung cancer will receive preventive brain radiotherapy. Some extensive-stage small cell lung cancers also receive this type of radiotherapy;
④ Radiotherapy can relieve symptoms related to small cell lung cancer, such as pain, dysphagia, cough, dyspnea, etc. It can treat metastatic lesions in brain, bone, liver and other parts.
Radiation therapy is similar to taking X-rays, the difference is that the radiation is stronger and it only hits the lesion. Radiation therapy is not painful, and each radiation therapy lasts only a few minutes. Radiation therapy for small cell lung cancer is usually given 1 to 2 times a day, 5 days a week, for 3 to 7 weeks. At present, new radiotherapy techniques include three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy, and stereotactic radiotherapy. These new types of radiation therapy are more effective and have fewer side effects.
Radiation therapy also has side effects that vary by site of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy to the chest may cause coughing, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness. Sore throat, dysphagia, and dysphagia may occur when the esophagus is affected by radiation to the mediastinum and other sites. Radiation therapy to the brain can sometimes cause headaches, nausea, drowsiness, and memory problems. Side effects from radiation therapy usually resolve gradually after treatment ends, but can sometimes last for a long time.