In English | En español
Questions About Cancer? 1-800-4-CANCER

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)

  • Updated: 02/10/2012

Table 8. Standard Treatment Options for NSCLC

Stage (TNM Staging Criteria) Standard Treatment Options  
Occult NSCLCSurgery
Stage 0 NSCLCSurgery
Endobronchial therapies
Stage I NSCLCSurgery
Radiation therapy
Stage II NSCLCSurgery
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Adjuvant chemotherapy
Radiation therapy
Stage IIIA NSCLCResected or resectable diseaseSurgery
Neoadjuvant therapy
Adjuvant therapy
Unresectable diseaseRadiation therapy
Chemoradiation therapy
Superior sulcus tumorsRadiation therapy alone
Radiation therapy and surgery
Concurrent chemotherapy with radiation therapy and surgery
Surgery alone (for selected patients)
Chest wall tumorsSurgery
Surgery and radiation therapy
Chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy and/or surgery
Stage IIIB NSCLCSequential or concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy
Chemotherapy followed by surgery (for selected patients)
Radiation therapy alone
Stage IV NSCLCCytotoxic combination chemotherapy (first line)
Combination chemotherapy with bevacizumab or cetuximab
Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (first line for patients with EGFR mutations)
Maintenance therapy following first-line chemotherapy
External-beam radiation therapy (for palliation)
Endobronchial laser therapy and/or brachytherapy (for obstructing lesions)
Recurrent NSCLCRadiation therapy (for palliation)
Chemotherapy alone
Surgery (for isolated cerebral metastasis in highly selected patients)
Laser therapy or interstitial radiation therapy (for endobronchial lesions)
Stereotactic radiation surgery (for highly selected patients)