Understanding Fourth-Stage Lung Cancer Treatment Options

Fourth stage lung cancer treatment focuses on treating the symptoms, not the causes, by slowing the growth of tumors. Fourth stage lung cancer treatment rarely cures cancer, but it can help increase a person's survival rate while decreasing the pain associated with it.

Treatments

• According to the Mayo Clinic, common types of treatments used for fourth stage lung cancer are chemotherapy and drug therapy. These treatments are typically used together.

Duration

• Chemotherapy is given for several weeks to a couple of months, depending on how big the tumor is. Drug therapy is used daily or several times per week, depending on the medication.

Benefits

• Chemotherapy kills cancer cells, relieving pain and swelling in the neck, face, and upper body. Drug therapy targets tumors and cuts off its blood supply, shrinking tumors and prolonging a person's life.

Considerations

• If a person's immune system is too weak to receive chemotherapy or drug therapy, palliative care--medical care that focuses on easing pain from cancer before death--is another option.

Effects

• According to the Indiana University School of Medicine, drug therapy lengthens a person's survival rate by eight months in 28-39 percent of cancer victims.

Types

• The types of drugs used to treat fourth stage lung cancer include Avastin, Tarceva, and Gemzar.