Other treatments for non-small cell lung cancer

Cryosurgery Back To Top

Cryosurgery, or cryotherapy, uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy cancer cells.

Cryotherapy can only deal with very small amounts of tumour, so it is not an alternative to more usual treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.

Cryotherapy is mainly used in the rare situation when tumour tissue has grown into the main airway leading into the lungs, called the trachea. The tumour causes narrowing of the trachea, which leads to breathlessness. Cryotherapy can help ease the obstruction.

Using a bronchoscope, the doctor puts an instrument, called a cryoprobe, close to the tumour. Liquid nitrogen is then circulated through the probe to freeze the tumour.

Cryosurgery is still a relatively new treatment for lung cancer, and is not widely available in the UK.

Diathermy Back To Top

Diathermy (or electrocautery) uses an electrical current passed through a needle to destroy cancer cells.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) Back To Top

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses lasers, or other light sources, combined with a light-sensitive drug (sometimes called a photosensitising agent) to destroy cancer cells. The light-sensitive drug is given as a liquid into a vein. After waiting for the drug to be taken up by the cancer cells, the laser light is directed at the tumour using a bronchoscope|.

PDT will make you temporarily sensitive to light and you will need to avoid bright light for between a couple of days and a few months, depending on the photosensitising drug that is used. Other side effects include swelling, inflammation, breathlessness and a cough.

PDT is still being researched as a treatment for advanced lung cancer and is not suitable for everyone. It can also be used if the cancer is only growing into the wall of one of the main airways (endobronchial cancer) and is at a very early stage. Your doctor can give you more information. PDT is only available at some centres.

We have more detailed information about photodynamic therapy|.

Antiangiogenesis drugs Back To Top

Angiogenesis is the medical term for the growth of new blood vessels. Tumours need their own blood supply in order to grow. Drugs are available which can help stop the development of new blood vessels – these are known as antiangiogenesis drugs. They include bevacizumab (Avastin®) |and thalidomide|.