Treatments such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy uses specialized drugs to stop the effect or kill lung cancer cells. There are also other drugs that can do the work as chemotherapy drugs do. The drugs include,
- Eriotinib (Tarceva): This drug has the ability to block lung cancer cells. This drug is more effective than chemotherapy drugs. The drug is approved by the authorities to be used by patients with advanced or metastasized non-small cell lung cancer. It can also be used by patients whose non-small cell lung cancer has not grown or spread. This drug is like a pill which can be taken through the mouth. There are side effects that accompany the use of this drug, including rashes and diarrhea.
- Gefitinib (Iressa): This drug is also used to block cancerous cells. It is being approved by the necessary drug authorities to be taken by lung cancer patients whose cancer is advanced so as to reduce the effect of the cancer.
- Gilotrif (Afatinib): This drug is also known as tyrosine kinase inhibitor, it stops the growth of cancer cell. It can be used when carrying out targeted therapy treatment in patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
- Crizotinib (Xalkori): This is a drug use in targeted treatment to cure advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
- Ceritinib (Zykadia): This is a drug used in targeted therapy for non-small cell lung cancer that has an ALK gene mutation. Patience whose cancer has worsened can take this drug so as to subdue the effect of the cancer.
These drugs mentioned above are high functioning drugs which could be harmful to normal cells in the body with side effects showing up as an indication of its negative effect. Some of them can be used during targeted therapy destroy cancer cells.