Treatment overview for small cell lung cancer

Sometimes chemotherapy and radiotherapy are given at the same time; this is known as chemoradiation.

Surgery| is usually only used to treat people with small cell lung cancer if the cancer is found very early (limited disease). This is because the cancer has usually spread to other parts of the body before being diagnosed, even if it can’t be seen on a scan.

If an operation is possible, chemotherapy may be given after surgery to help reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. This is known as adjuvant treatment.

The scans and tests used to diagnose the cancer may be repeated later, to see how you’re responding to treatment.

Small cell lung cancer can sometimes spread to the brain. A type of radiotherapy called prophylactic cranial radiotherapy may be given to the head to reduce the risk of this happening. It may be given to people with small cell lung cancer if chemotherapy to treat the lung tumour has worked very well, or if they’ve had surgery to remove the tumour.

Radiotherapy may also be used in people with advanced small cell lung cancer to relieve symptoms such as pain.