There are 150,000 new cases of lung cancer every year in the United States and 1.3 million deaths worldwide due to lung cancer each year, according to the World Health Organization. Patients diagnosed with lung cancer have low rates of survival. One in six patients survives more than five years after diagnosis, according to Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER). There are two major types of lung cancer: non-small-cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer.
Surgery
For non-small-cell lung cancer, complete surgical removal of localized lung cancer offers the best chance for cure, according to Clinical Oncology. Surgery is an important treatment option for Stages I and II and selected cases of Stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.
Surgery benefits a small number (fewer than 10 percent) of patients diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer, according to UpToDate.com. Small-cell lung cancer metastasizes quickly to other organs, and surgery doesn't improve survival among these patients.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to interfere with growth and division of cancer cells, which eventually kill the cancer cells. Chemotherapy agents used to treat small-cell lung cancer include cisplatin, carboplatin, doxorubicin, vincristine and etoposide.
Chemotherapy agents for non-small-cell lung cancer include cisplatin, gemcitabine, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, mitomycin, carboplatin, vinorelbine, etoposide, pemetrexed and topotecan, according to Cancerhelp.org.uk.
Chemotherapy agents are often used in combination. For instance, the following combination therapies are often recommended for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer: cisplatin and paclitaxel, cisplatin and gemcitabine, cisplatin and docetaxel, and carboplatin and paclitaxel, according to Clinical Oncology.
Radiation Therapy
High energy and focused X-rays are used to kill cancer cells in radiation therapy. It's often combined with chemotherapy to treat non-small cell lung cancers, particularly those of later stages. Radiation therapy is often recommended for patients with limited small cell lung cancer.
Radiation therapy can also be used to treat metastatic lung cancer in other organs, such as bone metastases or brain metastases, according to UpToDate.com.
