Treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is typically coordinated by a cancer care team. The team may include a medical oncologist, surgeon, radiation oncologist and pulmonologist (physician who specializes in lung diseases). Treatment for NSCLC depends on the type and stage of the cancer, as well as other patient factors such as age and general health.

In the earliest stages, NSCLC is typically treated with surgery. Surgery may remove a portion of the lung (wedge resection), an entire lobe (lobectomy) or the entire lung (pneumonectomy). Lymph nodes also may be removed to determine if the cancer has spread. These surgeries are performed under general anesthesia and usually require one to two weeks' hospitalization.

Radiation therapy may be used to destroy any remaining cancer cells after surgery or to prevent the recurrence of the disease. For patients who are unable to tolerate surgery, radiation may be the primary treatment. Most lung cancer is treated with external beam radiation, which is provided from a machine outside the body.

Chemotherapy may be used in addition to surgery and radiation therapy to prevent a return of cancer cells. Chemotherapy recently has been shown to improve the results if combined with surgery in early stage disease. Chemotherapy may be used to help prevent the recurrence of lung cancer as well.

Other possible treatments of confined and accessible tumors include:

• Laser therapy. Laser beams (narrow stream of intense light) are used to kill cancer cells.
  
  
• Cryosurgery. A treatment that freezes and destroys cancer tissue.
  
  
• Photodynamic therapy. A cancer treatment that uses drugs that activate when exposed to light, at which point the cells die.
  

Investigative efforts to improve results include:

• Chemoprevention. The use of drugs, vitamins and other substances to reduce the risk of developing or recurring cancer.
  
  
• Clinical trials. A physician may recommend participation in a clinical trial that will test new experimental treatments. Patients in all stages of lung cancer can seek to participate in such trials because of the limitations of standard treatments. Clinical trials are conducted for all stages of lung cancer. Experimental therapies may include biological therapy, gene therapy and angiogenesis inhibitors, as well as chemotherapy.
  
  
• Comfort care. All patients have the right to receive treatment for their symptoms, including pain, whether or not they are receiving specific therapy for the cancer.