Chemoradiotherapy
Your doctor might suggest chemoradiotherapy if you have:
stage 3 non small cell lung cancer
early stage small cell lung cancer
You need to be fit enought to have this treatment because the side effects can be difficult to cope with.
The treatment can help to control the cancer. You might also have it as part of a clinical trial.
The most common chemotherapy drug is cisplatin and it is often combined with other chemotherapy drugs.
For non small cell lung cancer, you might have chemotherapy before the radiotherapy starts as a drip into your arm every 3 to 4 weeks. You continue to have it during the radiotherapy treatment and finish it after radiotherapy has ended.
For small cell lung cancer, you might have radiotherapy during the first two cycles of chemotherapy.
A nurse puts a small tube into one of your veins and connects it to the drip. Or you might have a central line. This is a long plastic tube that gives the drug into a large vein, either in your chest or in your arm. It stays in while you’re having treatment, which might be for a few months.
Find out about cisplatin and other chemotherapy drugs
You have radiotherapy in short sessions every weekday for about 4 to 6 weeks.
You usually have treatment in the chemotherapy day unit or you might need to stay in hospital for a day or more.
You have radiotherapy in the radiotherapy department.
Before you begin treatment, the radiotherapy team works out:
how much radiation you need to treat your cancer
how to deliver the treatment as safely as possible
They divide the dose of radiotherapy into a number of smaller treatments. They call each treatment a fraction. This is called radiotherapy planning.
The radiographers might make pen marks or small tattoos on your skin in the treatment area. You may need to raise your arms above your head for a while. Or you might have a radiotherapy shell (mould) made to keep you still while you have treatment.
Find out what happens at your planning appointment
Your treatment starts a few days or up to 3 weeks after the planning session.
You lie under a large machine to have radiotherapy.
Find out what happens at your radiotherapy treatment sessions
Chemoradiotherapy can cause side effects, such as tiredness, sickness, a sore throat, and a cough and breathlessness.
Last reviewed: 15 Feb 2023
Next review due: 15 Feb 2026
Chemotherapy uses anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. You might have chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer and non small cell lung cancer.
Radiotherapy is a common treatment for lung cancer. You usually have external radiotherapy. This means using radiation from a machine to destroy the cancer.
Chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer can cause side effects. Most side effects gradually go away in the weeks or months after treatment.
Your treatment depends on several factors. These include what type of lung cancer you have, how big it is and whether it has spread (the stage). It also depends on your general health.
There is support available during and after treatment to help you cope. This includes support from your clinical nurse specialist, cancer charities, community services, and family and friends.
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