Seek second opinions, if necessary, before committing to any plan of care. Treatment for lung cancer varies from person to person, depending on the stage of their disease at the time of diagnosis. Patients who are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in its earliest stages may undergo surgery in the hope of curing the disease. Surgery is generally not an option for patients who are diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. The type of surgery performed depends on where the cancer is located.
Radiation therapy is a form of high energy x-rays that is used to kill cancer cells.
Radiation therapy may be used before surgery to shrink a tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells. Radiation therapy is also used as a primary treatment for lung cancer. It can help to relieve some of the symptoms, like shortness of breath, that result from the disease. At times, radiation therapy is combined with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy involves the administration of drugs to eliminate cancer cells within the body.