Lung cancer treatment depends on several factors, including the type, the mutations specific to the cancer, the stage of the lung cancer and your overall health. Treatment of lung cancer often requires input from radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, thoracic surgeons and lung doctors (pulmonologists).

Radiation Therapy

Radiation is a high-energy X-ray that can be used to treat lung cancer noninvasively. It passes through the chest to treat lung cancer and can be combined with surgery, chemotherapy or both. Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by damaging their ability to multiply. In early-stage lung cancer, surgery has been the standard treatment. However, in patients unable to tolerate surgery, focused radiation, called stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) or stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), is a good treatment option. For large tumors or those involving lymph nodes, radiation (often combined with chemotherapy) may replace surgery as the main treatment. For more advanced cancers, your doctors may recommend radiation to manage symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, pain or bleeding.

External Beam Radiation Therapy

External beam radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is the safe delivery of high-energy X-rays to your cancer. A linear accelerator focuses the radiation beam to a precise location in your body for an exact period of time. Radiation is given in a series of daily treatments, five days a week, for several weeks. The full course of treatment varies but can span from one week to seven weeks. Before beginning treatment, you will be scheduled for a planning session to map out the treatment area. This procedure is called a simulation. You will undergo a CT scan to design your treatment.