Can Lung Cancer Be Cured?

• Surgery to remove the part of the lung that contains cancer
• Chemotherapy — medicine that kills cancer cells throughout the body
• Radiation therapy — high-energy rays that destroy cancer cells
• Targeted therapies — medicines like EGFR and ALK inhibitors that block proteins that help cancer cells grow
• Immunotherapy — medicines like immune checkpoint inhibitors that help the immune system fight off cancer

Surgery to remove the lobe of the lung containing cancer (lobectomy) may offer the greatest likelihood of curing early stage cancers. But there’s still a chance that the tumor could return in the future, says Herbst.

Doctors are learning how to target patients’ cancers more effectively. “We’re learning how to understand why patients are resistant — those who don’t respond to begin with, or those who become resistant during treatment. And in those cases, we are developing new therapies,” says Herbst.

For some, joining a clinical treatment trial may be an option worth considering. “I would encourage patients to seek clinical trials and look for immunotherapy or other approaches,” says Herbst. “We are making great progress, and it’s been very exciting in the last few years.”