Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment

With non-small cell lung cancer, treatment is generally separated into three groups based on the stage of the disease. Depending on the stage of your cancer's stage, your treatment options could include things such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, laser therapy, or photodynamic therapy.

An Overview of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment

When a lung cancer diagnosis is made, patients can be divided into three non-small cell lung cancer treatment groups based on the lung cancer stage.
 
These three groups include:
 
Cancer That Can Be Treated With Surgery
Non-small cell lung cancer that can be treated with surgery falls under this treatment option:
 
  • Stage 0, stage I, and stage II non-small cell lung cancer can often be removed by surgery
  • Radiation therapy may be used to treat patients who have other medical problems and cannot have surgery.
     
Cancer That Has Spread to Lymph Nodes
Non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or to lymph nodes can be treated with one of the following:
 
  • Radiation therapy alone
  • Radiation therapy and chemotherapy or other kinds of treatment
  • Surgery alone.
     
Cancer That Has Spread to Other Parts of Body
For patients whose lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body or to another lobe of the lungs, treatment may include the following:
 
  • Lung cancer radiation therapy may be used as palliative therapy to shrink the cancer and to relieve pain in patients who have non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body
  • Chemotherapy may be used to treat some patients.
     
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment Article Continues on Next Page >
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
 
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