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Lung Cancer Treatment: A Complete Guide

Lung Cancer Treatment: A Complete Guide
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Updated on August 18, 2026
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If you've been diagnosed with lung cancer, your doctor or oncologist will discuss suitable treatments with you. The two main types of lung cancer — small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — may be treated differently. Limited stage SCLC is treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Extensive stage SCLC is usually treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. NSCLC can involve surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, depending on the subtype and stage of cancer.

Lung cancer survival rates have improved in recent years thanks to more lung cancer screening and better treatments. The five-year survival rate for lung cancer has increased by 26 percent in the past five years.

“We have so many more tools to offer our patients,” says Kristin Higgins, MD, the chief clinical officer for City of Hope Cancer Center Atlanta and a professor of radiation oncology at City of Hope National Medical Center. That’s why it’s so important for those diagnosed with lung cancer to get biomarker testing before beginning treatment, Dr. Higgins adds. This will help your doctors decide what treatment will work best for you.

Before starting a new treatment or combining treatments, it’s important to talk to your healthcare professional to discuss what’s best for you.

Surgery and Other Procedures

Surgery to remove a lung tumor may be an option if the cancer is found in stages 1 to 3, Higgins says. There are several options for surgery:

  • Pneumonectomy Your surgeon removes your entire lung with this procedure. You might need a pneumonectomy if the 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, such as video-assisted thoracic surgery or robotic-assisted thoracic surgery, may also be available. These procedures require a smaller incision, and the recovery is usually easier.

Your doctor will choose the type of procedure according to the size and location of the 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

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) uses high-energy radio waves to heat up the tumor and destroy cancer cells. Most of the time, RFA is performed as an outpatient procedure using local anesthesia. It may be a good option for someone with non-small cell lung cancer who can't tolerate surgery or whose tumor is small in size and near the outer part of the lung.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a lung cancer treatment that involves delivering anti-cancer medicines through pills or injections. This treatment is used before or after surgery to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

 Chemotherapy can be used along with radiation, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.

Chemotherapy is versatile. 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 also used in advanced-stage lung cancer to control the cancer.

The following chemo drugs are commonly given to people with either SCLC or NSCLC. These medicines are usually combined, but depending on the situation, you may take just one at a time.

  • carboplatin
  • cisplatin
  • docetaxel (Taxotere)
  • etoposide (VP-16)
  • gemcitabine (Gemzar)
  • irinotecan (Camptosar)
  • lurbinectedin (Zepzelca)
  • paclitaxel (Taxol)
  • pemetrexed (Alimta, Pemfexy)
  • albumin-bound paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane)
  • topotecan (Hycamtin)
  • vinorelbine (Navelbine)
Side effects of chemo include hair loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, bruising, loss of appetite, mouth sores, diarrhea, constipation, and an increased risk of infection. There are many medications that you are given with chemotherapy to help minimize these side effects, and there are many additional medications that you can take as needed to help with side effects such as nausea.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation can be used by itself or in combination with chemotherapy to cure earlier-stage lung cancers. Radiation uses high-energy beams, such as X-rays and protons, to kill cancer cells, both at the primary site and at potential metastatic sites. Your doctor may recommend radiation instead of surgery if the tumor can't be removed because of its size or location in the lung, or if there are health reasons you can’t undergo surgery, says Jinesh Gheeya, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist at Ohio State University in Columbus. Some people with advanced lung cancer receive radiation to relieve pain and improve their symptoms.

During radiation, the beams will come from a machine that focuses on the tumor. This is called external beam radiation and includes three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, and proton therapy.

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 to alleviate pain or symptoms.

Targeted Therapy

Lung cancer treatments that exploit specific abnormalities in cancer cells are known as targeted therapies. These drugs are different from chemotherapy in the way they work. Unlike chemo, targeted therapy recognizes cancer cells based on mutations, or changes, in their DNA that are not seen elsewhere in the body. It specifically attacks the cancer cells, not healthy cells.

Typically, targeted medicines don't cause as many side effects as chemo, but you could experience a rash, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, high blood pressure, liver function issues, and heart, vision, or lung problems.

Most targeted drugs work only if you have certain gene mutations, which your doctor can test you for, says Dr. Gheeya. If there are no mutations present, that’s when a person would receive chemo or immunotherapy, he adds. Here are the common mutations that may be treated with targeted therapies for lung cancer.

EGFR Mutations

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a protein found on the surface of cells, and a mutation in the cancer gene can lead to an abnormal protein, causing lung cancer. Some mutations in the EGFR gene can be treated with drugs, such as:

  • afatinib (Gilotrif)
  • amivantamab (Rybrevant)
  • dacomitinib (Vizimpro)
  • erlotinib (Tarceva)
  • gefitinib (Iressa)
  • osimertinib (Tagrisso)

ALK Fusion

About 5 percent of NSCLCs have an alteration in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene. When mutated, it can cause abnormal cell growth and spread. Drugs that target ALK changes include:

  • alectinib (Alecensa)
  • brigatinib (Alunbrig)
  • ceritinib (Zykadia)
  • crizotinib (Xalkori)
  • lorlatinib (Lorbrena)

ROS1 Fusions

The ROS1 gene arrangement is related to the ALK gene, and some drugs that work for one also work for the other.

 In July 2026, the FDA approved a new second-line ROS1 treatment, zidesamtinib, for those with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1 NSCLC who have received a prior ROS1 treatment.

  • ceritinib (Zykadia)
  • crizotinib (Xalkori)
  • entrectinib (Rozlytrek)
  • lorlatinib (Lorbrena)
  • repotrectinib (Augtyro)
  • taletrectinib (Ibtrozi)
  • zidesamtinib (Jideytro)

BRAF Mutations

The BRAF gene helps manage important cell functions related to growth. When mutated, it signals cells to divide uncontrollably.

 Two drug combinations are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to target changes in the BRAF V600E gene:

  • dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist)
  • encorafenib (Braftovi) and binimetinib (Mektovi)

KRAS Mutations

The KRAS gene helps regulate cell growth, serving as an on-off switch. Similar to the BRAF mutations, when mutated, KRAS allows cells to grow uncontrollably. KRAS mutations are one of the most common mutations linked to cancer, driving 32 percent of lung cancers. There are several types of KRAS mutations. KRAS G12C can be targeted by FDA-approved agents.

 Examples include:
  • adagrasib (Krazati)
  • sotorasib (Lumakras)

MET Alterations

Only around 5 percent of patients who have lung cancer have this gene mutation. For those who do, targeted therapy MET inhibitor drugs, such as capmatinib (Tabrecta) or tepotinib (Tepmetko) may be recommended treatments.

RET Mutations

An error in the RET gene, sometimes called a rearrangement, can be a biomarker for lung cancer, although it appears in only 1 to 2 percent of patients. Patients who have this mutation are often younger and have never smoked. The two FDA-approved RET inhibitors are selpercatinib (Retevmo) and pralsetinib (Gavreto).

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses medicines to stimulate the body's immune system to target and kill cancer cells more effectively. These treatments work by reinvigorating your own immune system to fight cancer, Gheeya says. Immunotherapy can be used on its own or in combination with other therapies. Biomarker testing can help indicate who will respond well to these treatments, Gheeya says.

These drugs are given as an intravenous (IV) infusion.

PD-1 Inhibitors

These drugs block the PD-1 protein to help boost the body's immune system response to fighting cancer cells. Examples are:

  • cemiplimab (Libtayo)
  • nivolumab (Opdivo)
  • pembrolizumab (Keytruda)

For those with metastatic lung cancer, these may be used in conjunction with the medication ipilimumab (Yervoy) or tremelimumab (Imjudo), 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.

Bispecific T Cell Engager Therapy

This type of immunotherapy uses lab-made antibodies to attract T cells, a type of immune cell, directly to cancer cells. This helps the T cells recognize cancer cells and kill them. Bispecific T cell engager (BiTE) therapy may be used for small cell lung cancer when other treatments have not slowed down its progress.

 Side effects of BiTE therapy may include fever, low blood pressure, high heart rate, disorientation, and difficulty breathing.

 An example for lung cancer is:
  • tarlatamab (Imdelltra)

Monoclonal Antibody Therapy

Monoclonal antibodies are proteins made in a lab, designed to attach to cancer cells and cause them to die. It is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Examples:

  • bevacizumab (Avastin)
  • ramucirumab (Cyramza)

Antibody-Drug Conjugate Therapy

This novel type of therapy combines chemotherapy and targeted therapy and is typically used when cancers recur or the cancer spreads. Antibody-drug conjugates have the ability to accurately destroy cancer cells without harming healthy cells. This treatment doesn’t cure cancer, however, it can help people live longer.

 Examples for lung cancer include:
  • telisotuzumab vedotin (Emrelis)
  • trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu)
  • datopotamab deruxtecan (Datroway)

Pain Management

Depending on the location and the size of the tumor, lung cancer can be painful, particularly if it presses against other organs.

 Cancer pain presents differently among people who have it. It can be dull, sharp, achy, or have a burning sensation. It can also range from mild to severe. Options to treat it include:
  • 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 stress of living with cancer — or any serious illness — can take a toll on your peace of mind. And addressing those issues can help you live longer. Research suggests that mental health treatment improves lung cancer survival rates.

A therapist may help you process your illness, the prognosis, and the treatment. Research on antidepressants and lung cancer are mixed. Some studies suggest that antidepressants can improve survival rates, and others say they increase the risk of lung cancer.

 Talk to your healthcare team to discuss if this option is right for you.
Treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mind-body interventions like yoga and tai chi, and regular exercise also improve well-being in patients who have advanced lung cancer.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
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