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Questions you may want to ask your doctor about surgery ■ What kind of surgery do you suggest for me? ■ How will I feel after surgery? ■ If I have pain, how can we control it? ■ How long will I be in the hospital? ■ Will I have any lasting side effects? ■ When can I get back to my normal activities? Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy is an option for people with any stage of lung cancer: ■ People with early lung cancer may choose radiation therapy instead of surgery. ■ After surgery, radiation therapy can be used to destroy any cancer cells that may remain in the chest. ■ In advanced lung cancer, radiation therapy may be used with chemotherapy. ■ Radiation therapy can be used to help shrink a tumor that is blocking the airway. 16 ■ Radiation therapy can be used to help relieve pain from lung cancer that has spread to the bones or other tissues. ■ Radiation therapy is often used to treat lung cancer that has spread to the brain. The radiation comes from a large machine. The machine aims high-energy rays at your body to kill cancer cells. The treatment affects cells only in the area being treated, such as the chest area. You’ll go to a hospital or clinic for treatment. Treatments are usually 5 days a week for about 6 weeks. Each treatment session usually lasts less than 20 minutes. Although radiation therapy is painless, it may cause other side effects. The side effects depend mainly on how much radiation is given and the part of your body that is treated. Ask your health care team to describe the side effects that you might expect during or after radiation therapy. Radiation therapy aimed at the chest may cause a sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath. When you try to swallow, you may feel a lump in your throat or burning in your chest or throat. Your health care team can suggest ways to manage these problems. The problems usually go away when treatment ends. It’s common for the skin in the chest area to become red and dry and to get darker. Sometimes the skin may feel tender or itchy. Check with your doctor before using lotion or cream on your chest. After treatment is over, the skin will heal. You’re likely to become tired during radiation therapy, especially in the later weeks of treatment. Although getting 17 enough rest is important, most people say they feel better when they exercise every day. Try to go for a short walk, do gentle stretches, or do yoga. The NCI booklet Radiation Therapy and You has helpful ideas for coping with radiation therapy side effects. Questions you may want to ask your doctor about radiation therapy ■ When will treatment start? When will it end? How often will I have treatments? ■ How will I feel during treatment? Will I be able to drive myself to and from treatment? ■ What can I do to take care of myself before, during, and after treatment? ■ How will we know the treatment is working? ■ What side effects should I expect? What should I tell you about? ■ Are there any lasting effects? 18 Chemotherapy Chemotherapy may be used alone, with radiation therapy, or after surgery. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. The drugs for lung cancer are usually given directly into a vein (intravenous) through a thin needle. You’ll probably receive chemotherapy in a clinic or at the doctor’s office. People rarely need to stay in the hospital during treatment. The side effects depend mainly on which drugs are given and how much. Chemotherapy kills fast-growing cancer cells, but the drugs can also harm normal cells that divide rapidly: ■ Blood cells: When drugs lower the levels of healthy blood cells, you’re more likely to get infections, bruise or bleed easily, and feel very weak and tired. Your health care team will check for low levels of blood cells.

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