Lung cancer - non-small cell

Alternative Names

Cancer - lung - non-small cell; Non-small cell lung cancer; NSCLC

Treatment

There are many different types of treatment for non-small cell lung cancer:

• Surgery - part or all of the lung is removed
• Radiation therapy - uses powerful x-rays or other radiation to kill cancer cells
• Chemotherapy - uses drugs to kill cancer cells and stop new ones from growing
• Laser therapy - a small beam of light burns and kills cancer cells
• Photodynamic therapy - uses a light to activate a drug in the body, which kills cancer cells
• Watchful waiting - in rare cases, the person may only be monitored until symptoms change

Treatment depends upon the stage of the cancer. A combination of treatments may be needed. Research has suggested that chemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy prior to surgery might be the best treatment for some patients.

Surgery is the often the first line of treatment for most patients with stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer, and some patients with stage III tumors. Surgery can cure the disease.

Chemotherapy alone is often used when the cancer has spread (stage IV). Chemotherapy has been shown to prolong the life and improve the quality of life in some stage IV patients.

Support Groups

For additional information and resources, see cancer support group.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Cure rates are related to the stage of disease and whether you are able to have surgery.

• Stage I and II cancer can be cured with surgery, sometimes in more than 50% of cases.
• Stage III tumors can be cured in some cases, but cure rates are much lower than earlier stage NSCLC
• Patients with stage IV disease are almost never cured, and the goals of therapy are to extend and improve the quality of their life.

Possible Complications

• Spread of disease beyond the lung
• Side effects of surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy

References

Mehra R, Moore BA, Crothers K, Tetrault J, Fiellin DA. The association between marijuana smoking and lung cancer: a systematic review. Arch Intern Med. 2006 Jul 10;166(13):1359-67.

American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2006. Atlanta, Ga: American Cancer Society; 2006.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Lung cancer screening. Ann Int Med. 2004;140:738-739.

Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKena WG. Clinical Oncology. 3rd ed. Orlando, Fl: Churchill Livingstone; 2004:1690-1701.