Making the Decision to Have C... Health Article

Your doctor may suggest chemotherapy to treat lung cancer for any of the following situations.

• You have small cell lung cancer.

• You are getting ready to have surgery for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Chemotherapy before surgery can help shrink the tumor. Then it’s easier to remove all of it. Having chemotherapy before surgery is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

• You have non-small cell lung cancer. You may have chemotherapy alone or with radiation. You may also have it after surgery to help make sure all the cancer cells are killed.

• You have stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. Chemotherapy can’t cure this cancer, but it may help you feel better and live longer. For instance, it may help ease coughing, bone pain, and fatigue.