Treatment of Lung Cancer
Once the diagnosis of lung cancer is made, it is necessary to "stage" the disease. Staging refers to a determination about the extent of the disease. It is important to find out if the cancer is localized (confined to the lung), or whether it has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body.
Lung cancer often spreads outside of the lung, and it may have spread to the bones or brain by the time it is diagnosed. In such cases chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment is offered. Surgery for lung cancer is offered only in cases of early stage disease when the tumor is confined to the lung or after neoadjuvant (preoperative) chemotherapy for advanced localized lung cancer.
Surgery. Patients who are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in its earliest stages may undergo surgery in the hope of curing the disease. Surgery is generally not an option for patients who are diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. The type of surgery performed depends on where the cancer is located. Some examples of surgical procedures used to treat lung cancer include:
- Wedge or segmental resection. A small part of the lung is removed.
- Lobectomy. An entire lobe of the lung is removed.
- Pneumonectomy. An entire lung is removed in either the right or left chest.
Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is a form of high energy X-rays that is used to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be used before surgery (neoadjuvant radiation) to shrink a tumor, or after surgery (adjuvant radiation) to destroy any remaining cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be combined with chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery (neoadjuvant chemoradiation).
Radiation therapy is also used as a primary treatment for lung cancer. It can help to relieve some of the symptoms, such as shortness of breath for a localized obstruction. At times, radiation therapy is combined with chemotherapy (chemoradiation). Radiation therapy is most often delivered using a machine directed to a specific part of the body, but it also can be given internally by means of a radiation implant.
Some doctors are experimenting with intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), which focuses radiation during surgery. This allows radiation to be more closely concentrated, without it having to pass through other parts of the body.
More on Lung Cancer Lung Cancer Resources For Patients And Families
Treatment Options for Those Diagnosed With Lung Cancer
What Is Cancer Staging?
A Guide to Cancer Treatment
In the Encyclopedia: Lung diseases due to gas or chemical exposure
Superior vena cava syndrome
Lung biopsy
Lung abscess
Lung cancer, non-small cell
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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