Treatment Options for Lung Cancer
Treatment options may consist of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, other localized therapies or any combination of these treatments.
- Surgery may consist of a pneumonectomy, lobectomy, or segmentectomy where all or part of the lung is removed. In some instances, the nearby lymph nodes may be removed for observation also.
- Chemotherapy is a systemic therapy that uses anti-cancer drugs to kill or stop the growth of cancer cells
- Radiation therapy consists of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy or internal radiation therapy.
- External beam is a treatment option that uses localized high energy radiation beams to eliminate cancer cells and keep them from growing.
- Brachytherapy uses a radioactive substance, usually in the form of seeds which are placed directly into or near the cancer which helps to shrink the tumor.
- Other therapies can include radiofrequency ablation, photodynamic therapy, laser therapy, and stent placement.