Lung Cancer Treatment Options

Cancer of any kind is never a welcome diagnosis. The physical and emotional challenges it brings are many and occur at a time when one must absorb a tremendous amount of vital information. Although we are lucky to live in a time when there are more cancer treatment options than ever before, deciding on a course of care can be a daunting experience.

Lung cancer is treated in several different ways, depending on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread. Before starting treatment, we develop a personalized care plan for every patient. For some patients, surgery may be the only treatment needed. When we catch lung cancer early (stage 1), we can operate and remove the tumor. The surgery is often performed in a minimally invasive way using robotic techniques, which can speed up recovery times. 

At Huntington Cancer Center, we offer immunotherapy, a novel way of treatment that activates the immune system to attack cancer. For some patients, we utilize targeted therapy, a type of precision treatment that uses drugs to attack cancer cells with specific mutations. Chemotherapy is also beneficial for many patients with lung cancer.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays that specifically damage rapidly diving cells, preventing them from expanding. It may be used alone or together with other cancer treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy.

As one of the most respected comprehensive radiation oncology departments in Southern California, our mission is to exceed the high customer service expectations of our communities and provide the most effective delivery of therapeutic oncology services in a caring and compassionate setting.

Our radiation oncology experts work together as a team, planning every step of your course of care. Our physicians are board-certified radiation oncologists who specialize in delivering precision radiation therapy using state-of-the-art equipment.

Your other team members include: RNs specially trained in cancer care, radiation therapists, physicists and a dietitian. Our special radiation nurse navigators will help schedule your necessary appointments, answer your questions and personally guide you through your treatment course.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with use of drugs. The drugs used for lung cancer are usually given either orally or intravenously (IV).

Chemotherapy drugs work by stopping cancer cells from dividing or multiplying, targeting cells that grow and divide quickly. Some chemotherapy agents target cells at a specific part of the cell cycle, and some may destroy cancer cells at any part of the cell cycle. Chemotherapy is unique in that it can reach cancer cells in any area of the body, unlike surgery and radiation which target a local area.

Chemotherapy is given in cycles, with each period of treatment followed by a recovery period. You and your Medical Oncologist will decide which regimen is right for you.

Lung Surgery

Huntington Hospital is a regional referral center for thoracic oncology, or cancer of the chest. Our thoracic surgeons work closely with primary care physicians, pulmonologists, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists throughout Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. You can be sure you are in expert hands.

Surgery on the lungs may be done for a variety of reasons. The type of surgery performed depends on the location of the tumor in the lung.

Huntington Hospital offers a variety of surgical procedures, including:

• Fiberoptic and rigid bronchoscopy
• Mediastinoscopy
• Video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS)
• Robotic Thoracic Surgery
• Pulmonary resection for primary and metastatic tumors
• Surgical therapy for tumors of the mediastinum, chest wall and esophagus
• Surgical therapy in combination with multimodality treatment for complicated or advanced thoracic malignancies