When is radiotherapy recommended for lung cancer?

Your team considers the cancer type and stage, tumour position, lymph-node involvement, breathing capacity, previous treatment and overall health. Focused radiotherapy can be considered for a small lung tumour when surgery is not suitable or when a person prefers a non-surgical approach after discussion. For locally advanced disease, radiotherapy may be combined with medicines and planned around other treatment. Radiation can also be directed at a painful bone area, a brain deposit, or another site causing pressure or bleeding.

Planning uses scans to define the tumour and the movement of the lungs during breathing. The team chooses an angle, dose pattern and schedule that balance tumour treatment with protection of normal lung, heart, oesophagus and spinal cord.

Tell the team about breathlessness, cough, chest pain, oxygen use, medicines and any previous radiation. Ask whether breathing tests, a nutrition review or a treatment pause plan is needed. Attend planning appointments, use the breathing technique taught by the team, and report swallowing pain, worsening cough or unusual breathlessness rather than waiting for the next visit.

Get urgent help for severe or rapidly worsening breathlessness, blue lips, confusion, coughing up more than a small streak of blood, sudden weakness, or a seizure. During treatment, contact the oncology team promptly for fever, chest pain, new oxygen needs, or a cough that changes quickly.

Ask whether the goal is cure, control or symptom relief; whether surgery or medicines are part of the plan; and which organs are close to the treatment area. Ask how radiotherapy could affect breathing, swallowing, fatigue and skin, and whom to call outside clinic hours.