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Lung cancer is a fight. Here’s how to get ready.

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Lung cancer is common. There are about 200,000 cases in the US each year. If you’ve been diagnosed, we’ll help explain the testing, stages, and treatment types, so you and your care team can take the next steps together.
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Diagnosis and what to expect

Explore treatment types

Ways to work with your care team

Living with cancer

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Diagnosis and what to expect

See how doctors diagnose lung cancer.

Lung cancer occurs when cells in the lungs grow out of control and form a tumor. It starts in airways between the windpipe and lungs (bronchi), small air tubes in the lungs (bronchioles), or sacs where the lungs and blood exchange oxygen (alveoli).

Symptoms may or may not appear before the cancer has spread. Lung cancer symptoms include, but aren’t limited to, tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath, and coughing.

Lung cancer is diagnosed through a biopsy, imaging tests, and possibly biomarker testing.

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Biopsy

A hollow needle is used to collect tissue, fluid, or mucus from the lung. The sample is then examined in a lab. Molecular testing may also be done at this time. In some cases, doctors perform a needle biopsy while a patient undergoes a bronchoscopy, a test used to look for tumors or blockages in the airways.

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Biomarker testing

Biomarkers are signals in cancer cells that can show how cancer may change, grow, or respond to treatment. Biomarker testing may be done at the same time as a biopsy.

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Have you asked about biomarker testing?

Biomarker testing can help your care team design a treatment plan tailored to you. We’ll help you build a discussion guide you can take to your next visit.

Get started

Take a deeper look at biomarkers

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Not all lung cancer types are the same.

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Once diagnosed, doctors look at where the cancer started and certain features to determine the type. They may further determine type through biomarker testing.

The two main types of lung cancer are:

  • Non-small cell (NSCLC): Cancer cells are larger when seen under a microscope and grow more slowly. It is more common than SCLC
  • Small cell (SCLC): Cancer cells are smaller and rounder when seen under a microscope and grow more quickly
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Find out more about your lung cancer.

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Did you know?

NSCLC and SCLC have different staging classifications but both are based on the TNM system. TNM stands for tumor size (T), whether cancer is in lymph nodes (N), and whether it has spread to other parts of the body, or metastasized (M).

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Explore treatment types

There’s more than one way to treat lung cancer.

Your lung cancer treatment plan may include more than one type of treatment and will depend on a few factors:

  • The type of cancer you have and where it is
  • The stage and grade of your cancer
  • Your biomarker status
  • Your overall health and lung function
  • Whether you have NSCLC or SCLC since the treatments are different for each

Knowing about different treatments helps you talk about them with your doctor and take an active role in your care.

Remember to ask about the side effects, risks, and benefits of any cancer treatment.

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Surgery

Surgery aims to remove the tumor completely along with some lymph nodes if necessary. Additional tissue around the tumor may also be removed and tested to make sure that all cancer cells are destroyed. Some procedures you may hear about include, but aren’t limited to:

  • Lobectomy: There are five lobes in the lungs: 3 on the right, 2 on the left. A lobectomy removes only the lobe with the tumor(s). This is the preferred approach when possible
  • Wedge resection: The tumor and some surrounding tissue are removed. This procedure is usually for those whose lung function isn’t strong enough for the removal of a full lobe
  • Sleeve resection: A section of the airway containing the tumor is removed and the remaining sections are then attached to each other
  • Pneumonectomy: The entire lung is removed

Surgery is used more often for NSCLC than for SCLC.

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Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, or chemo, uses a combination of two or three powerful medications to attack and stop cancer cells from growing. It can also kill some healthy cells, which is why people may experience side effects, like hair loss.

Typically a fluid delivered into a vein (IV), it may also be given as an injection or pills.

For NSCLC, chemo can be used before and after surgery. It can also treat cancer that’s spread beyond the lungs. If surgery isn’t an option, chemo may be used with radiation therapy as the main treatment. This is the most common treatment for limited stage SCLC.

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Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells. Different radiation techniques may be used depending on a person’s treatment plan.

For those with NSCLC who can’t have surgery, it may be used with chemo as the main treatment. It may also be used before surgery to shrink a tumor, or after to destroy any remaining cancer cells.

Used more frequently in SCLC than NSCLC, radiation can help alleviate symptoms and prevent the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body, especially the brain.

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Immunotherapy

A therapy that boosts your body’s own immune system to fight cancer or helps train the immune system to attack certain cancer cells.

One common type of immunotherapy is called immune checkpoint inhibitors. Here’s how it works: Immune system cells have proteins that act as “checkpoints.” These checkpoints keep them from attacking healthy cells. Some cancer cells are able to get around these checkpoints, so the immune system doesn’t notice them. Immune checkpoint inhibitors block those proteins, allowing the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

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Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy is designed to act on specific features of cancer cells, such as proteins or gene changes identified through biomarker testing, although it can also affect some normal cells. It’s also called personalized or individualized therapy and is used alone or with chemo.

Targeted therapies are mainly used to treat NSCLC. Many of these therapies are called inhibitors. They help stop or slow (that is, inhibit) different aspects of cancer cells that help them grow.

Targeted therapy is usually given as a pill but can also be an infusion (IV), or injection.

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Clinical trials

If available treatments aren’t a fit for your particular cancer, participating in a clinical trial may be right for your situation. Clinical trials study the safety and efficacy of potential new medicines, including cancer treatments. Your doctor can tell you about the benefits and risks, and whether taking part in a clinical trial is right for you.

Explore clinical trials

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Ways to work with your care team

From questions to clarity, your doctor can help.

Diagnosis, testing, and treatment types can bring lots of questions. We can help prepare you to get the most out of your conversations.

Get ready

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Unsure what to ask? Let’s get you started.
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Diagnosis
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Get answers about your diagnosis.

  • What type of cancer do I have?
  • Has it spread or grown?
  • What stage is my cancer?

Get more diagnosis questions

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Talk about your treatment plan.

  • What types of treatment are used for my cancer?
  • If biomarker testing was done, how do the results impact my treatment plan?
  • What are the goals of my treatment plan?

Get more treatment questions

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Ask about support and resources.

  • What support services are available?
  • Who can help me navigate care and next steps?
  • Who on my care team can I reach out to when I have questions?

Get more support questions

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We’re committed to helping you afford your Pfizer prescriptions.

From co-pay cards to help navigating insurance approvals, we’ll guide you to the right support. And if you’re eligible for our programs, we’ll help you get the Pfizer medicines you need.

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You could help advance a breakthrough.

Clinical trials study the safety and efficacy of potential new medicines, including cancer treatments.

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Living with cancer

Get a little inspiration.

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I feel so fortunate to be born at a time when I could detect this and do something about it.”

Sachi

Actual patient with cancer

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Whenever you get through stuff, that's what it is. You get past it and you move on and you move to a different place and you grow a little more.”

Robin

Actual patient with cancer

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Information to support you along the way.

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Sharing your diagnosis

Read now

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Facing uncertainty at different stages of your journey

Read now

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Communicating the support you need at work

Read now

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Sachi’s story: Facing another unpredictable wave

Read now

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Robin’s story: Healing through art

Read now

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Still have questions?

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What are targeted therapies?

Targeted therapies are treatments that target the ways cancer cells grow, divide, and spread. One of the ways doctors determine if targeted therapies make sense in a treatment plan is through biomarker testing.

Find out more about biomarker testing

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What can I do if I’m having trouble affording my medicine?

Managing treatment costs and paying for your medicine can be overwhelming. We’ve got resources on how to help manage costs and information on where you may be able to find financial support for Pfizer medications.

Get help navigating costs

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Can I still go to work if I’m getting cancer treatment?

About half of people living with cancer are at an age where they’re still working. If you’re one of them, you may be wondering about how to talk to your co-workers about what you’re going through, what you need, and your ability to do your job. We’ve got you covered.

Communicating what you need at work


Getting back to work after treatment

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Are there communities and advocacy groups I can join?

There are many patient advocacy groups in the lung cancer community. You can find resources, explore ways to connect with other patients and caregivers, and discover support for your journey.

Get connected

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How do race and ethnicity affect my outlook for lung cancer?

The outlook for a lung cancer diagnosis is different among some racial and ethnic groups.

  • Asians and Pacific Islanders with lung cancer are 17% less likely to be diagnosed early compared to White people
  • Latinx people with lung cancer are 30% more likely to not receive any treatment compared to White people
  • Black people with lung cancer are 16% less likely to survive 5 years compared to White people
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When should I seek a second opinion?

Getting a second opinion is a common process that can give you peace of mind. You may want or need a second opinion because:

  • You have a rare type of cancer and want to be sure of your diagnosis
  • Your doctor gives you limited treatment options, and you think other treatments might be available at a different medical center
  • Your doctor is not a specialist in your type of cancer
  • Your doctor tells you there is uncertainty about your type or stage of cancer
  • You’re having trouble understanding and communicating with your doctor, or you want your options explained by someone else
  • You feel uncomfortable with your doctor and their ability to answer your questions or give you the time you need
  • Your insurance company asks you to get another opinion before you start treatment
  • You want to feel confident in your treatment plan