Chemotherapy involves the use of anticancer medications that are designed to disrupt the growth of cancer cells in the body, including those in the lungs. Lung cancer is classified into two types: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
Whenever diagnosed, the lung cancer tends to spread past the lungs. Chemotherapy medications are circulated all through the body so that the cancer cells found past the lungs are treated immediately.

Treatment for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Chemotherapy is suggested before the surgery in such type of lung cancer for some people.

Types of chemotherapy

• Primary systematic lung cancer chemotherapy
  To destroy the cancer cells, neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is generally used before surgery. It also enables your oncologist to decide the impact of a particular lung cancer treatment regimen on the tumor.
• Adjuvant chemotherapy
  This type of chemotherapy is conducted if doctors find traces of cancer cells even after the surgery. It also prevents the growth of cancer cells from spreading to alternate parts of the body.
• Systematic Chemotherapy
  In this type of chemotherapy, medications are circulated through the bloodstream and attack cancer cells in the body.

Medications for NSCLC
The following medications are popular for the treatment of lung cancer along with chemotherapy.

• Cisplatin
• Carboplatin
• Paclitaxel (Taxol)
• Albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel, Abraxane)
• Docetaxel (Taxotere)
• Gemcitabine (Gemzar)
• Vinorelbine (Navelbine)
• Irinotecan (Camptosar)
• Etoposide (VP-16)
• Vinblastine
• Pemetrexed (Alimta)

Most often, treatment for NSCLC utilizes a mix of two chemotherapy medications. Studies have demonstrated that adding a third chemo medication doesn’t include many advantages and is probably going to cause more side effects. Single-medication chemo is sometimes utilized for individuals who might not tolerate combination chemotherapy well, such as those with poor general wellbeing or who are elderly.

Possible side-effects
The side-effects of chemotherapy depend upon the sort and dose of medications given and to what extent they are taken. Chemo medications attack cells that are dividing rapidly, which is the reason they work against cancer cells. While targeting cancer cells, chemotherapy also damages healthy cells that cause unpleasant side-effects such as mouth sores, loss of appetite, hair loss, vomiting and nausea, constipation, diarrhea, etc. since it also destroys the good WBCs and RBCs, it can also result in prolonged fatigue, bruises, and bleeding.

Advantages of Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy helps in shrinking cancer as well as it slows down the development of cancer before surgery.
• After surgery, the chances of the growth of cancer coming back are nearly nil.