Stage IIIa May or may not be resectable. If not resectable, chemotherapy and radiation are used. Stage IIIb Usually not resectable if N3 or T4. Use chemotherapy or radiation or both. No surgery unless primary and solitary metastatic focus can be removed.
Primary chemotherapy is used with the intent to prolong life and relieve symptoms.
Treatment of small cell lung cancer rarely includes surgical resection and the TNM system of staging is not as useful as it is for non-small cell lung cancer. Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer is very dependent upon the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis.