Lung Cancer

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses lung cancer as one of the most lethal diseases in the United States, causing more deaths compared to any other form of cancer. The paper then states that research in gene therapy and improvements in radiation therapy have provided a new ray of hope for lung cancer patients. The paper also discusses the management of the symptoms and methods of improving the quality of life as one of the most important features of cancer care. IN addition, the paper comments that the cancer nurse plays a large role by providing proactive and treatment centric nursing interventions for symptoms palliation.

Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Genetic and Molecular Biology of Cancer
Lung Cancer Treatment Methods
Radiotherapy
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Radiotherapy has been one of the mainstay treatments for cancer. However, conventional radiotherapy has not been very effective and so more effective forms of non-conventional interventions such as hyperfractionated, accelerated and combined hyperfractionated/ accelerated radiotherapy regimens have begun to be tested. A recent study by Lester et.al showed that conventional radiotherapy is not very effective in terms of treatment outcome even with higher dosages and that it only resulted in increased side effects including oesophagitis, anemia, etc. Of the fourteen trials which were reviewed for the study, it was found that even with high dosage RT there was only very little improvement in terms of survival with 5% at one year and 3% at 2 years. The study also found that for those patients with higher PS (performance status), increasing the radiation dosage to as 36Gy/12F would offer better survival chances though the risk for oesophagitis and other radiation side effects are also increased."

Sample of Sources Used:

• CDC, "Lung Cancer : Statistics", Accessed !4th Dec 2007, Available at, http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/statistics/
• Caldas, C. (1998) "Science, medicine and the future - Molecular assessment of cancer': British Medical Journal: No.316 pp. 1360-1363, Available online at, http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1113070
• Nobuaki Ishii and N. de Tribolet, "Are p53 mutations and p53 over expression prognostic factors for astrocytic tumors? Critical reviews in Neurosurgery, vol 8/ no 5, Sept 1998 .
• Massion, Pierre P, Taflan, Et,al (Nov 2004), "Early Involvement of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Pathway in Lung Cancer Progression", American Journal of Respiratory and Critical care Medicine,
• Heike Allgayer, MD, PHd,(2003), "Molecular Staging of Cancer: Concepts of Today, Therapies of Tomorrow", Journal of Surgical Oncology, 82, 217-223

More papers on Lung Cancer:

• Term Paper # 121020 : "Leukemia and Lung Cancer"
• Essay # 74514 : "Lung Cancer"
• Article Review # 116670 : "GSTs, Smoking, and Lung Cancer"
• Research Paper # 114574 : "Lung Cancer"

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