Navigating Treatment | Treatment Options

If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, it’s important to discuss the treatment options available, along with the risks, side effects and benefits of each option with your healthcare team. Lung cancer is highly treatable, despite the size, location and/or whether the cancer has spread. Treatment options are based on factors, including the type and stage of lung cancer, potential side effects, your age, and overall health. Your preferences are also an important consideration. Your treatment plan may also include treatment for any side effects or symptoms you experience.

Surgery may be recommended to remove the lung tumor and nearby lymph nodes in your chest. The surrounding border or margin of healthy lung tissue should also be removed and examined by the pathologist to ensure that no cancer is found, which is known as a “negative margin”. Your lungs have 5 lobes, 3 in the right lung and 2 in the left lung. There are different types of lung cancer surgery, which include a lobectomy (entire lobe removed), wedge resection (small part of lobe removed), segmentectomy (large part of lobe removed), sleeve lobectomy (entire lobe and part of main airway removed), and pneumonectomy (entire lung removed). Surgery recovery time depends on how much of your lung was removed and your general health prior to surgery. Be sure to discuss any potential side effects you may experience after surgery. Your healthcare team may provide recommendations, such as a cancer rehabilitation program or certain exercises to help with recovery.

Learn more about surgery for NSCLC and SCLC.

Neoadjuvant therapy (induction therapy) is treatment received before surgery to treat the tumor, lower risk of recurrence and help reduce the extent of surgery.
Adjuvant therapy is treatment received after surgery to get rid of any lung cancer cells that are still present post-surgery and lower the risk of recurrence.

	Without 17p Deletion and TP53 Mutation	With 17p Deletion and TP53 Mutation
Preferred Regimens	Acalabrutinib with or without obinutuzumab Venetoclax and obinutuzumab Zanubrutinib	Acalabrutinib with or without obinutuzumab Venetoclax with or without obinutuzumab Zanubrutinib
Other Recommended Regimens	Ibrutinib Bendamustine and either rituximab or obinutuzumab Chlorambucil and obinutuzumab Obinutuzumab	Alemtuzumab with or without rituximab High-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) and rituximab Ibrutinib Obinutuzumab
Sometimes Useful Regimens	Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) may be used to treat Lung Cancer with IGHV mutations in people who are under 65 years of age and fairly healthy	-

Without 17p Deletion and
TP53 Mutation

With 17p Deletion and
TP53 Mutation

Preferred Regimens

Acalabrutinib with or without obinutuzumab
Venetoclax and obinutuzumab
Zanubrutinib

Acalabrutinib with or without obinutuzumab
Venetoclax with or without obinutuzumab
Zanubrutinib

Other Recommended Regimens

Ibrutinib
Bendamustine and either rituximab or obinutuzumab
Chlorambucil and obinutuzumab
Obinutuzumab

Alemtuzumab with or without rituximab
High-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) and rituximab
Ibrutinib
Obinutuzumab

Sometimes Useful Regimens

Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) may be used to treat Lung Cancer with IGHV mutations in people who are under 65 years of age and fairly healthy

	Without 17p Deletion and TP53 Mutation	With 17p Deletion and TP53 Mutation
Preferred Regimens		Acalabrutinib Venetoclax with rituximab Venetoclax Zanubrutinib
Other Regimens		Ibrutinib Alemtuzumab with or without rituximab Duvelisib High-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) and rituximab Idelalisib with or without rituximab Lenalidomide with or without rituximab
When Prior Treatment Consisted of a BTK Inhibitor, Options May Include:	Venetoclax and rituximab (preferred) or venetoclax if not received before For some people, one of these BTK inhibitors—may be an option: acalabrutinib (preferred), zanubrutinib (preferred), or ibrutinib
When Prior Treatment Consisted of Venetoclax, Options May Include:	Repeating first-line venetoclax with obinutuzumab for second-line therapy if the cancer had been in remission Acalabrutinib (preferred), zanubrutinib (preferred), or ibrutinib
When Prior Treatment Consisted of Chemoimmunotherapy or immunotherapy	Venetoclax and rituximab (preferred) or venetoclax Acalabrutinib (preferred), zanubrutinib (preferred), or ibrutinib

Without 17p Deletion and TP53
Mutation

With 17p Deletion and TP53
Mutation

Preferred Regimens

Acalabrutinib
Venetoclax with rituximab
Venetoclax
Zanubrutinib

Other Regimens

Ibrutinib
Alemtuzumab with or without rituximab
Duvelisib
High-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) and rituximab
Idelalisib with or without rituximab
Lenalidomide with or without rituximab

When Prior Treatment Consisted of a BTK Inhibitor, Options May Include:

Venetoclax and rituximab (preferred) or venetoclax if not received before
For some people, one of these BTK inhibitors—may be an option: acalabrutinib (preferred), zanubrutinib (preferred), or ibrutinib

When Prior Treatment Consisted of Venetoclax, Options May Include:

Repeating first-line venetoclax with obinutuzumab for second-line therapy if the cancer had been in remission
Acalabrutinib (preferred), zanubrutinib (preferred), or ibrutinib

When Prior Treatment Consisted of Chemoimmunotherapy or immunotherapy

Venetoclax and rituximab (preferred) or venetoclax
Acalabrutinib (preferred), zanubrutinib (preferred), or ibrutinib

Treatment Options

What are my treatment options?

Treatments may also include radiation therapy and systemic therapies, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy, which may also be combined. Your healthcare team may recommend different types or a combination of treatment based on the type and stage of your lung cancer.