Lung Cancer Initial treatment

The kind of treatment and the long-term outcome of lung cancer depends on the type and stage of the cancer. Your age, overall health, and quality of life must also be considered. Many people with lung cancer are diagnosed with the disease when the cancer is already in an advanced stage. Fewer lung cancers are diagnosed in the early stages when lung cancer is likely to be cured by surgery.

Non-small cell lung cancer grows and spreads more slowly. Lung surgery (thoracotomy) is usually the standard treatment for non-small cell stage I to stage IIIA cancers. Treatment for non-small cell lung cancer also includes:

* Treatment with a combination of the three therapies.

1 Lung surgery (thoracotomy) takes out the cancer.

2 Radiation therapy sometimes follows surgery for stages IIA, IIB, and IIIA (with lymph node involvement) and may reduce the risk of cancer returning in the chest.

3 Chemotherapy may be used to treat more advanced stages (stages III and IV). Chemotherapy may also be used after surgery for early stages such as IB, IIA, IIB, and IIIA to reduce the risk of cancer returning.

Small cell lung cancer grows very rapidly in most people and is more likely to spread (metastasize) to other organs. Treatment for small cell lung cancer includes:

* Chemotherapy, which usually is the standard treatment for this type of lung cancer.

* Radiation therapy, which may help shrink a rapidly growing large tumor that is causing symptoms.
Radiation therapy is combined with chemotherapy to treat small cell cancer that is limited to the chest.

Home treatment measures may help relieve some common side effects of your cancer treatment. For more information, see the Home Treatment section of this topic.

If you have been recently diagnosed with lung cancer, you may feel denial, anger, and grief. There is no "normal" or "right" way to react to a diagnosis of cancer. Reactions vary from person to person. You can take steps, though, to manage your emotional reactions to learning that you have lung cancer. You may find that talking with family and friends is comforting, or you may need to spend time alone to understand your feelings about your disease.

If your emotions interfere with your ability to make decisions about your health and to move forward with your life, it is important to talk with your doctor. Your cancer treatment center may offer counseling services. You may also contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society to help you find a support group. Talking with other people who have had similar feelings after a diagnosis such as yours can help you accept and deal with your disease.

What to think about during initial treatment

Your quality of life is critical when considering your treatment choices. Discuss your personal preferences with your oncologist when he or she recommends treatment.

Treatment for advanced-stage lung cancer is intended to control your symptoms and increase your comfort (palliative care), but it will not cure your cancer.

You may be interested in participating in research studies called clinical trials. Clinical trials are based on the most up-to-date information and are designed to find better ways to treat people who have cancer. People who do not want standard treatments or are not cured by standard treatments may want to participate in clinical trials. These are ongoing in most parts of the United States and in some other countries around the world for all stages of lung cancer.

There are many clinical trials being done to see if combining chemotherapy or radiation treatments either before or after surgery is more effective for the different stages of lung cancer. Other clinical trials are studying different medicine combinations for different stages of lung cancer. Discuss what choices are available for your lung cancer with your oncologist. For more information about specific lung cancer treatments, see the topics

* Lung Cancer, non-small cell Health Professional Information [NCI PDQ].

* Lung Cancer, non-small cell Patient Information [NCI PDQ].

* Lung Cancer, small cell Health Professional Information [NCI PDQ].

* Lung Cancer, small cell Patient Information [NCI PDQ].