Why We Combine Chemotherapy and Radiation for Lung Cancer

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This video explains that the standard treatment for advanced lung cancer patients who can't have surgery is radiation therapy with chemotherapy combined. The standard treatment is six weeks long with radiation given Monday through Friday and chemotherapy scheduled depending on the specific drugs used. Research has shown that adding chemotherapy before starting radiation improves survival, but the best results are achieved when chemotherapy and radiation therapy are given at the same time. However, there are side effects associated with this treatment, including fatigue, lung and esophagus inflammation, and a remote chance of lung scarring or cardiac injury.

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Read the full video transcript below:

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For patients with advanced lung cancer who have lymph node positive disease and can't have surgery, the standard treatment is radiation therapy with chemotherapy combined. 

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The standard treatment is six weeks long, with radiation Monday through Friday, and chemotherapy scheduled depending on the specific drugs that are used. 

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The modern standard of care of combined chemotherapy and radiation for lung cancer is based on decades of research. 

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Treatment with radiation therapy alone results in poor survival. Researchers found that adding chemotherapy before starting radiation resulted in somewhat improved survival. But the best results were achieved when chemotherapy and radiation therapy were given at the same time. 

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However, there are side effects when we combine chemotherapy and radiation, including fatigue, lung inflammation, esophagus inflammation, and a remote chance of lung scarring or cardiac injury. 

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This is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making a medical decision.

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