Occasionally, surgery may be used to help determine exactly which type of lung cancer the patient has. During surgery, the doctor will also take out lymph nodes to see if they contain cancer. It may be used to kill cancer cells in the lungs or in other parts of the body where the cancer has spread. Radiation therapy may also be used to prevent the cancer from growing in the brain. Because PCI may affect brain function, the doctor will help the patient decide whether to have this kind of radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy is the most common treatment of all stages of small cell lung cancer.
Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside the lungs, including cancer cells that have spread to the brain. Treatment of small cell lung cancer depends on the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and overall condition. Standard treatment may be considered because of its effectiveness in patients in past studies, or participation in a clinical trial may be considered. Most patients are not cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired.