Lung Cancer Treatments

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You’ve learned that you have lung cancer and need to start treatment. You want to make sure that you have access to great care and a wide selection of lung cancer treatments. You’re worried, and you need support.

At UVA Health, we’ll do everything we can to see you as soon as possible. Here, you’ll find the expertise of a top cancer center without the hassle of a major city.

Big Expertise & Small-Town Feel

Our doctors are leaders in their fields. They literally write the textbooks on how best to beat lung cancer and other lung diseases. They also take the time to listen to each patient.

We have participated in clinical trials for medicines, procedures, and radiation treatments that have changed the standard of care for lung cancer. And we offer the personalized, caring support you’d expect from a small-town hospital.

We Focus Only on Chest (Thoracic) Conditions

From diagnosis to surgery to other treatments you may need, you’ll have a close-knit team of experts. We focus only on cancers and diseases of the chest area.

You won’t find more specialized care anywhere.

Advanced Treatments in Lung Cancer

Watch expert Richard Hall, MD, review the options. See the advanced treatments for lung cancer transcript.

Types of Treatment for Lung Cancer

The treatment you need will depend on the type of lung cancer you have. Our team can recommend the best treatment path for small-cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and other types of chest cancer.

Depending on your case, we may recommend:

  • Surgery
  • Radiation therapy
  • Immunotherapy
  • Chemotherapy
  • Combination therapy
  • Oral medication
  • BiTE Therapy

Lung Cancer Treatments Tailored for You

Lung cancer tends to develop later in life, when you might be dealing with other health issues. We will tailor a treatment plan based on:

  • How healthy you are
  • The type and genetic profile of your cancer
  • If it is operable and/or if it has spread to other organs

Lung Cancer Surgery

Surgery can offer the best chance of a cure for lung cancer. At UVA Health, our thoracic surgeons are experts at lung cancer surgery. They've earned the nation’s highest possible rating for performing lung cancer surgery.

See how we shrink, kill, and remove lung cancer tumors.

Radiation Focused on Lungs

Lungs move as we breathe. This makes targeting radiation hard. So our radiation oncologists use the most precise technology to target tumors with cancer-killing radiation.

Learn more about TomoTherapy.

Immunotherapy: A Boost to Your Immune System

At UVA Health, you’ll find the latest treatments in immunotherapy. These medicines help your immune system to better recognize and destroy cancer cells. These drugs target specific genetic mutations in certain types of lung cancer, so not everyone is a candidate. Our expert medical oncologists will help find the medicines that work best against your type of cancer.

People with advanced lung cancers live months, and even years, longer with immunotherapy.

Chemotherapy & Combination Therapy

We may recommend using two or more different treatments together, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy or chemotherapy and targeted therapy. This approach is often more effective than using a single treatment alone.

Oral Medication

Targeted therapy drugs target specific genes or proteins found in cancer cells. They can be more effective and have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. 

Treatment for Advanced Lung Cancer

Many lung cancers are found in an advanced stage, when it’s not always possible to remove the cancer with surgery. Or surgery may be too dangerous for you, due to the health of your heart and lungs.

To make breathing easier and relieve other symptoms, we can offer several types of procedures, including:

  • Thoracentesis: We insert a needle into the space between the lungs and chest wall (pleural space) to draw out excess fluid and return the lung to full expansion.
  • Pleurodesis: We place a chemical substance in the chest cavity that surrounds the lungs. The substance causes the two pleural (lining of the lung) layers to stick together, eliminating the space between them. This allows the lung to stay expanded and prevents fluid from building up and compressing the lung

The Latest Treatments 

At UVA Health, our experts oversee several clinical trials testing new therapies for lung cancer. These trials give our patients access to the next generation of treatments before they are widely available.

Find a clinical trial.