Lung Cancer Treatment: A Complete Guide

Chemotherapy
The use of chemotherapy in lung cancer is complicated. It's used after surgery to decrease the risk of recurrence. It can also be used prior to surgery in some cases in combination with radiation or immunotherapy to increase the odds of successful treatment. It is used in late-stage lung cancer when the cancer can't be surgically removed.
- carboplatin
- cisplatin
- docetaxel (Taxotere)
- etoposide (VP-16)
- gemcitabine (Gemzar)
- irinotecan (Camptosar)
- lurbinectedin (Zepzelca)
- paclitaxel (Taxol)
- pemetrexed (Alimta)
- albumin-bound paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane)
- topotecan (Hycamtin)
- vinorelbine (Navelbine)
Targeted Therapy
Most targeted drugs work only if you have certain gene mutations, which your doctor can test you for. Here are ones that may be treated with targeted therapies for lung cancer.
EGFR Mutations
- afatinib (Gilotrif)
- dacomitinib (Vizimpro)
- erlotinib (Tarceva)
- gefitinib (Iressa)
- osimertinib (Tagrisso)
ALK Fusion
- alectinib (Alecensa)
- brigatinib (Alunbrig)
- ceritinib (Zykadia)
- crizotinib (Xalkori)
- lorlatinib (Lorbrena)
ROS1 Fusions
- ceritinib (Zykadia)
- crizotinib (Xalkori)
- entrectinib (Rozlytrek)
- lorlatinib (Lorbrena)
- repotrectinib (Augtyro)
BRAF Mutations
- dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist)
- encorafenib (Braftovi) and binimetinib (Mektovi)
MET Alterations
RET Mutations
Immunotherapy
Available immunotherapy medicines include PD-1 inhibitors and PD-L1 inhibitors.
PD-1 Inhibitors
- cemiplimab (Libtayo)
- nivolumab (Opdivo)
- pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
For those with metastatic lung cancer, these may be used in conjunction with the medication ipilimumab, a CTLA-4 inhibitor, which is another type of immunotherapy drug.
PD-L1 Inhibitors
Meds that block the PD-L1 protein can help the immune system attack cancer cells. Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) and durvalumab (Imfinzi) are PD-L1 inhibitors.
Immunotherapies can be used alone or with other treatments. Side effects of immunotherapy medicines may include autoimmune issues, cough, itching, fatigue, rash, constipation, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and joint pain.
Surgery and Other Procedures
- Pneumonectomy Your surgeon removes your entire lung with this procedure. You might need a pneumonectomy if your tumor is close to the center of your chest.
- Lobectomy The lobe that contains the tumor is removed if you have a lobectomy. Your right lung is made up of three lobes, and your left lung is made up of two lobes.
- Segmental Resection With this surgery, a large portion of your lung is removed — but not the entire lobe.
- Wedge Resection This procedure involves removing only a small part of the lobe that contains the tumor.
Minimally invasive surgical techniques, which require a smaller incision and from which the recovery is usually easier, may also be available.
Your doctor will choose the type of procedure according to the size and location of your tumor, as well as your lung function.
Risks of surgery may include bleeding, infection, blood clots, and, rarely, death. You may have certain side effects such as shortness of breath after surgery.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiation Therapy
Radiation uses high-energy beams, such as X-rays or protons, to kill cancer cells, both at the primary site or potential metastatic sites. Your doctor may recommend radiation instead of surgery if your lung tumor can't be removed because of its size or location in the lung. Some people with advanced lung cancer receive radiation to relieve pain and improve their symptoms.
Side effects of radiation may include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Hair loss
- Skin changes
Radiation can also damage the lungs, which might cause a cough and shortness of breath. Sometimes those symptoms don't go away completely after treatment.
Radiation may be given before or after surgery and is sometimes combined with chemotherapy. Additionally, this treatment is also used on areas of the body where cancer has spread.
Pain Management
- Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen
- Opioids, including morphine and oxycodone
- Other prescription medications, like antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, and steroids to help relieve pain
- A nerve block procedure, which is a numbing medicine that's injected into a nerve that can help prevent pain signals from being sent to the brain
- Integrative therapies, such as massage, acupuncture, physical therapy, and meditation
Mental Health
The Takeaway
- If you've been diagnosed with lung cancer, treatment options depend on the cancer stage and how far it has spread, with different approaches for small-cell and non-small cell lung cancer.
- Treatments available include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, each with potential side effects and risks. Discussing those options thoroughly with your healthcare provider is essential.
- It’s crucial to address mental health during treatment. Therapies and practices such as counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness exercises can enhance well-being and may even influence survival outcomes.
Resources We Trust
- Mayo Clinic: Cancer Survival Rate: What It Means for Your Prognosis
- Cleveland Clinic: Lung Cancer
- MD Anderson Cancer Center: Lung Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment
- American Lung Association: Supportive (Palliative) Care for Lung Cancer
- American Cancer Society: Living as a Lung Cancer Survivor
- Small Cell Lung Cancer vs. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: What's the Difference? National Foundation for Cancer Research.
- Lung Cancer Key Findings. American Lung Association State of Lung Cancer. November 13, 2024.
- Chemotherapy for Lung Cancer. American Lung Association. October 9, 2024.
- Chemotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. American Cancer Society. October 29, 2024.
- Chemotherapy Side Effects. American Cancer Society. May 1, 2020.
- Targeted Therapies for Lung Cancer. American Lung Association. February 12, 2025.
- Lung Cancer. Mayo Clinic. April 30, 2024.
- Targeted Therapy. Cleveland Clinic. April 14, 2022.
- Targeted Therapies. Lung Cancer Foundation of America.
- Targeted Drug Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. American Cancer Society. January 28, 2025.
- BRAF Mutation and Cancer. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
- MET and Lung Cancer. American Lung Association. January 22, 2025.
- RET and Lung Cancer. American Lung Association. January 22, 2025.
- Lung Cancer Immunotherapy. American Lung Association. October 1, 2024.
- Immunotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. American Cancer Society. March 13, 2025.
- Lung Cancer Surgery. American Lung Association. September 26, 2024.
- Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. American Cancer Society. January 29, 2024.
- Radiation Therapy for Small Cell Lung Cancer. American Cancer Society. January 29, 2024.
- Lung Cancer Symptoms. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
- Association of Mental Health Treatment With Outcomes for US Veterans Diagnosed With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. JAMA Oncology.
- Antidepressant Use and Lung Cancer Risk and Survival: A Meta-analysis of Observational Studies. Cancer Research Communications.
- Lehto RH. Psychosocial Challenges for Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer: Interventions to Improve Well-Being. Lung Cancer: Targets and Therapy.

Tingting Tan, MD, PhD
Medical Reviewer
Tingting Tan, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist at City of Hope National Medical Center.
Dr. Tan's research has been published in multiple medical and scientific journals, including Oncologists, Cancer Cell, and Genes and Development.
A graduate of the Beijing Medical University, Tan holds an M.D. from Peking University Health Science Center and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University. Her training includes fellowships at the University of California San Francisco Cancer Research Institute and the Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple University.

Julie Lynn Marks
Author
Julie Marks is a freelance writer with more than 20 years of experience covering health, lifestyle, and science topics. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, her work has been featured in WebMD, SELF, Healthline, A&E, Psych Central, Verywell Health, and more. Her goal is to compose helpful articles that readers can easily understand and use to improve their well-being. She is passionate about healthy living and delivering important medical information through her writing.
Prior to her freelance career, Marks was a supervising producer of medical programming for Ivanhoe Broadcast News. She is a Telly award winner and Freddie award finalist. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and four children, traveling, and cheering on the UCF Knights.