The treatments you receive for lung cancer depend on many factors, such as the stage and type of cancer you have and your overall health. The most common treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

The National Cancer Institute predicts that lung cancer will be the third most diagnosed cancer in the United States in 2023.

Lung cancer is divided into two main types: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SCLC tends to have a poorer outlook and usually requires more aggressive treatment.

Nine types of standard treatment are used to treat NSCLC and six types are used to treat SCLC. Read on to learn more about treatment options for lung cancer.

The main treatments for lung cancer include:

Treatment for early stage lung cancer often involves trying to cure the cancer.

However, about two-thirds of people with NSCLC and 97% of people with SCLC have advanced disease when they receive a diagnosis. Advanced lung cancer usually isn’t curable, but treatment can help manage symptoms and prolong your life.

Can lung cancer be cured?

Lung cancer can often be cured if it’s contained to one side of your chest. However, many people have cancer that’s already spread beyond this point when they receive a diagnosis.

The chance of curing lung cancer also depends on factors such as:

  • your age and overall health
  • which type of lung cancer you have
  • how advanced your cancer is

Learn more about curing lung cancer.

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Surgery is a treatment option for early stage lung cancer when the cancer is limited to one lung or one lung and nearby lymph nodes.

Surgery for lung cancer involves removing cancer cells and surrounding tissue. Surgery may precede or follow chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Surgery is not a treatment option for advanced lung cancer, but doctors may order surgery to help manage your symptoms.

Complications of surgery can include:

Learn more about surgery for lung cancer.

Chemotherapy is a drug therapy that plays an important part in lung cancer treatment for many stages of cancer. It can help shrink cancer cells so they can be surgically removed, or it can help destroy cancer cells that remain after surgery.

If surgery can’t be used, chemotherapy may be the primary treatment, either by itself or with other treatments.

Uses of chemotherapy include:

NSCLC stageDescription
Stage 1not a standard treatment
Stage 2before or after surgery
Stage 3A• by itself or with radiation therapy before surgery
• with radiation therapy
• with radiation therapy before immunotherapy
Stage 3B or C• before or at the same time as radiation therapy, possibly with more chemotherapy
• with radiation therapy before immunotherapy
Stage 4, relapsed, or recurrent• by itself
• combined with targeted therapy
• combined with immunotherapy

Learn more about NSCLC stages here.

SCLC stageDescription
Limited stage• with or without radiation therapy
• after surgery, possibly with radiation therapy
Extensive stage• combined with immunotherapy
• by itself or with radiation therapy

Chemotherapy side effects can include:

Learn more about chemotherapy side effects.

Radiation therapy uses high energy waves to destroy cancer cells. It’s another critical treatment for many stages of lung cancer. Doctors use radiation therapy to cure cancer or minimize your symptoms.

Here are some of its uses:

NSCLC stageDescription
Stage 1by itself for people who can’t or choose not to receive surgery
Stage 2by itself for people who can’t or choose not to receive surgery
Stage 3A• combined with chemotherapy before or after surgery
• after surgery
• by itself
• combined with chemotherapy
• as a palliative treatment
Stage 3B and C• after chemotherapy
• together with chemotherapy
• combined with chemotherapy and followed by immunotherapy
• as a palliative treatment
Stage 4, relapsed, or recurrentas a palliative treatment
SCLC stageDescription
Limited stage• with chemotherapy
• together with chemotherapy after surgery
• administered to your brain preventively
Extensive stage• by itself or with chemotherapy
• administered to your brain preventively

Side effects of radiation therapy can include:

  • fatigue
  • weakness
  • general sickness
  • rashes
  • trouble swallowing
  • chest pain
  • loss of appetite

Learn more about radiation side effects.

Targeted therapy involves taking medications that specifically target cancer cells while leaving your healthy cells largely undamaged.

Doctors may use targeted therapy in the following situations:

  • after surgery for stage 1, 2, or 3A NSCLC
  • with a combination of chemotherapy drugs for stage 4 NSCLC
  • by itself for stage 4 NSCLC

Targeted therapy generally causes fewer side effects than chemotherapy, but cancer cells can become resistant to targeted therapy drugs and stop responding.

Side effects of targeted therapy can include:

  • fatigue
  • changes to your nails
  • problems with blood clotting and wound healing
  • mouth sores
  • rashes

Immunotherapy stimulates your immune system to attack cancer cells. Doctors may use immunotherapy to try to cure your cancer or prolong your survival.

Your doctor may recommend immunotherapy for:

  • stage 2 or stage 3A NSCLC after surgery
  • stage 3B or 3C NSCLC after chemotherapy and radiation therapy
  • stage 4 NSCLC
  • extensive stage SCLC

Side effects of immunotherapy may include:

  • potentially serious autoimmune reactions
  • fatigue
  • cough
  • nausea
  • rash
  • loss of appetite
  • changes in bowel movements
  • joint pain

Learn more about the benefits and risks of immunotherapy.

Other treatments for lung cancer include:

  • Cryosurgery: Cryosurgery is the use of extreme cold to treat precancerous NSCLC.
  • Electrocautery: Electrocautery uses a heated probe to remove precancerous NSCLC.
  • Photodynamic therapy: Photodynamic therapy involves using chemicals that react to light to treat precancerous NSCLC.
  • Laser therapy: Laser therapy uses concentrated light beams to destroy cancer cells blocking your airways in stage 4 NSLC.
  • Endoscopic stent placement: An endoscopic stent opens your airways if they’re blocked from SCLC.

Your outlook with lung cancer depends on factors such as:

  • your age
  • your overall health
  • your subtype of lung cancer
  • how advanced your cancer is

Here’s a look at the 5-year relative survival rates for NSCLC and SCLC:

StageNSCLCSCLC
Local65%30%
Regional37%18%
Distant9%3%
All stages28%7%

The 5-year relative survival rate is a measure of how many people with the cancer are alive 5 years after diagnosis compared with people without the cancer. It cannot predict an individual’s specific outcome. If you have any questions about your outlook, talk with your doctor.

Treatment for lung cancer depends on many factors, such as how far the cancer has advanced, your overall health, and which type of lung cancer you have.

The most common treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Your doctor can help you weigh the pros and cons of each treatment and inform you of the potential side effects.