Lung Cancer Treatment

And because every case is different, each lung cancer treatment plan must be different as well. Once we profile your tumor at the molecular level to understand what’s driving its growth, we can then design a treatment plan to stop it.

At Winship, we use the latest advanced testing and technology to analyze your particular lung cancer at every level. This enables your team of lung cancer experts to develop a plan to effectively treat your cancer with the fewest possible side effects. Once they gather this information, your team of physicians — including your surgeon, pathologist, radiation oncologist, medical oncologist and more — will meet regularly to determine the best course of treatment for your cancer. In other words, you’ll get a second, third and fourth opinion all at the same time.

After they create your personalized lung cancer treatment plan, your team will share it with you and your treatment will be scheduled right away at Winship. We will even work with you and your local doctors in the event you decide you would like to stay closer to home for treatment. Our primary goal is to ensure that you get the cancer treatment you need, wherever you happen to be.  

As Georgia’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winship researchers are leaders in lung cancer treatment, pioneering dozens of clinical trials to study new lung cancer treatment options each year. In fact, many of the FDA-approved drugs to treat lung cancer came out of clinical trials performed at Winship, which means our patients were some of the first to benefit. This is why we can offer you access to the latest lung cancer treatment you won’t find at other cancer centers. Our clinical trial portfolio for lung cancer includes studies involving novel treatment combinations with surgery, new drug therapies, and innovative radiation treatment modalities. We make every effort to match as many patients as possible to ongoing research.

At Winship, we offer the most comprehensive range of lung cancer treatments in Georgia, and the expertise to treat every type of lung cancer. Based on your unique cancer, your treatment plan may include:

Chemotherapy

This treatment involves the use of medication taken orally or injected to attack cancer cells throughout the body. Because lung cancers are often diagnosed in later stages after they have already spread, lung cancer patients almost always receive some form of chemotherapy. Frequently, drugs are prescribed in combination to increase efficacy.

Targeted Therapy

This type of drug therapy is different from chemotherapy in that it focuses on a cancer’s specific gene mutations. Winship is collaborating in a large-scale clinical trial that monitors patients’ response to targeted therapy and, depending on how their genomic profile changes during treatment, we can match patients whose cancer has mutated with additional therapies.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. Commonly used in the treatment of lung cancer, radiation therapy may be the primary treatment, often in combination with chemotherapy, or used to shrink a tumor before surgery. We offer all available radiation technologies, including intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radio surgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy, and proton therapy.

Proton Therapy

Winship is the only cancer center in Georgia, and one of a select group in the entire United States, to offer proton therapy, a powerful and precise form of radiation therapy used to treat lung cancers in some patients. Proton therapy delivers a high dose of radiation to a tumor while avoiding damage to surrounding healthy tissue. This is particularly important in lung cancer treatment since the lungs are situated in such close proximity to other vital organs and structures, including the heart and spinal cord.

Immunotherapy

This type of treatment uses drugs to enhance your immune system’s ability to recognize and attack cancer cells. Here at Winship, we are leaders in using immunotherapies for lung cancers. In addition to several immunotherapy clinical trials for lung cancers, Winship has an entire immunotherapy research program that is advancing the world’s understanding of how the immune system can be harnessed to successfully treat cancer.

Surgery

Early-stage non-small cell lung cancers are typically treated with surgery to remove the tumor or section of the lung containing the tumor. Our thoracic surgeons are highly specialized in lung cancer. They are experts in pulmonary function and cancer resection (removal). They use minimally invasive techniques whenever possible.

At Winship, we strive to deliver the most effective treatment while also minimizing side effects. But coping with lung cancer and lung cancer treatment can be challenging That’s why we have a supportive oncology team of specialized doctors and nurses on staff to help you with the physical, psychological and emotional aspects of living with cancer, including symptom management and counseling. This team — with the help of counselors, nurse navigators, dietitians, social service professionals and others — will be with you every step of the way, supporting you during your experience and beyond.