6 . There Are Several Treatment Options for Pediatric Lung
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CT scan Positron emission tomography , or a PET scan Chest X‐ray
If the imaging test detects lung cancer , a doctor may perform a procedure called a bronchoscopy to collect a tissue sample ( or biopsy ) from the lungs . The doctor will look at the cells from the biopsy sample under a microscope to better understand what type of cancer your child has .
6 . There Are Several Treatment Options for Pediatric Lung
Cancer
There are different treatment options for children with lung cancer . The cancer treatment that ’ s best for each child depends on the type of cancer and how advanced the disease is .
Surgery
If lung cancer is diagnosed in the early stages of the disease , it means the tumor is only in the lungs . In these cases , surgery to remove the tumor may be the recommended treatment .
There are different types of surgery , depending on where the tumor cells are located .
Although surgery can be effective , it may be difficult to fully remove all the cancer cells . Additionally , some children are diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer , meaning the cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body . Metastatic lung cancer would need other types of treatment to eliminate the cancer cells .
Radiation
Radiation — also called radiation therapy or radiotherapy — is a common cancer treatment that uses high‐energy X‐rays to shrink tumors . Your child ’ s doctor may prescribe radiation by itself or in addition to other treatments .
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses different drugs that can kill quickly dividing cells . Cancer cells — which divide much more quickly than most normal cells in the body — are especially sensitive to chemotherapy . Children with advanced lung cancer are likely to get chemotherapy because this type of treatment can kill cancer cells throughout the body .