Lung Cancer Treatments

Treatment of lung cancer begins with seeking regular medical care throughout your life. Regular medical care allows your health care professional to best evaluate symptoms, such as chronic cough, and your risks of developing lung cancer, and promptly order diagnostic testing. These measures greatly increase the chances of detecting lung cancer in its earliest, most curable stage.

The goal of lung cancer treatment is to permanently cure the cancer or to bring about a complete remission of the disease. Remission means that there is no longer any sign of the disease in the body, although it may recur or relapse later. Lung cancer treatment plans use a multifaceted approach that is individualized to the type of lung cancer and the stage of advancement; your age, medical history, and coexisting diseases or conditions; and other factors.

Lung cancer treatment may include an individualized combination of:

• Chemotherapy in early or late-stage lung cancer. In end-stage lung cancer, chemotherapy may be used only to help shrink the tumor to relieve symptoms
• Dietary counseling to help people with cancer maintain their strength and nutritional status
• Pain medications
• Palliative care to improve the overall quality of life for families and patients with serious diseases
• Participation in a clinical trial to test promising new therapies and treatments for lung cancer
• Physical therapy to help strengthen the body, increase alertness, reduce fatigue, and improve functional ability during and after cancer treatment
• Radiation therapy in early-stage or late-stage lung cancer
• Quitting smoking to help slow or stop the growth of a lung cancer tumor
• Supplemental oxygen
• Surgery to remove the cancerous tumor and possibly all or part of a lung, which is generally most effective during the earliest stage of lung cancer
• Targeted molecular therapy for select lung tumors that harbor specific gene mutations