Lung cancer
Exploring lung cancer treatment options
There are many different treatment options for lung cancer, depending on the type, stage and whether the treatment is safe for you.
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Sources and references 
Choice of treatment
Treatment recommended will depend on the type of lung cancer and its stage, as well as your general fitness, lung function and whether the treatment is safe for you. It will also depend on what you want.
Curative treatment
This is treatment aimed at making all signs of the cancer go away permanently. It may involve:
- surgery – a whole lung, a lobe or part of a lobe may be removed; not usually used for SCLC
- radiation therapy – uses targeted radiation to damage or kill cancer cells, and may be offered on its own or together with surgery or chemotherapy. Side effects may include fatigue, pain when swallowing, heartburn, red or dry skin, shortness of breath or a cough
- chemotherapy – uses drugs to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. Side effects can include anaemia, increased risk of infections, mouth ulcers, hair loss from head and chest, and nausea, vomiting or constipation
- immunotherapy – uses drugs to help the immune system fight lung cancer. Side effects may include fatigue, rash, painful joints and diarrhoea
- targeted therapy – uses drugs that target specific features of cancer cells. Side effects may include rash, fatigue, diarrhoea, nausea, body aches or swelling.
Palliative treatment for advanced lung cancer
The goal of palliative treatment is to shrink and slow the spread of cancer and manage symptoms without trying to cure the cancer. Palliative treatment may include:
- chemotherapy
- immunotherapy
- targeted therapy
- radiation therapy
- surgery.
Find out more about the types of treatments:
Sources and references
This edition has been developed by Cancer Council NSW on behalf of all other state and territory Cancer Councils as part of a National Cancer Information Subcommittee initiative. We thank the reviewers of this booklet: Dr Malinda Itchins, Thoracic Medical Oncologist, Royal North Shore Hospital and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Dr Cynleen Kai, Radiation Oncologist, GenesisCare, VIC; Dr Naveed Alam, Thoracic Surgeon, St Vincent’s Hospital, Epworth Richmond, and Monash Medical Centre, VIC; Helen Benny, Consumer; Dr Rachael Dodd, Senior Research Fellow, The Daffodil Centre, NSW; Kim Greco, Specialist Lung Cancer Nurse Consultant, Flinders Medical Centre, SA; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Marco Salvador, Consumer; Janene Shelton, Lung Foundation Australia – Specialist Lung Cancer Nurse, Darling Downs Health, QLD; Prof Emily Stone, Respiratory Physician, Department of Thoracic Medicine and Lung Transplantation, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, NSW; A/Prof Marianne Weber, Stream Lead, Lung Cancer Policy and Evaluation, The Daffodil Centre, NSW. We would also like to thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who have worked on previous editions of this title.
Lung cancer
Cancer Council 13 11 20
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