Lung Cancer Treatments Explained: How Chemotherapy, Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy Work

Understanding lung cancer treatment can feel overwhelming, especially when your care team starts using terms like chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. While these treatments can all be used to treat lung cancer, they work in very different ways.

Dr. Jia Luo, a thoracic medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, breaks down how these treatments work, what patients can expect and how side effects can be managed while staying on treatment.

What Are the Main Types of Lung Cancer Treatment?

According to Luo, there are three major categories of treatment that patients with lung cancer may encounter: chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

The treatment a patient receives depends on several factors, including the type and stage of lung cancer, whether the cancer has specific biomarkers and a patient's overall health.

Here's how Luo explains the differences.

How Does Chemotherapy Work for Lung Cancer?

Chemotherapy is one of the treatments people often think of first when they hear the word "cancer treatment."

Luo explains that chemotherapy medications can be given intravenously and, in some cases, by mouth. Once the medication enters the body, it can travel throughout the body rather than only treating the tumor in the lungs.

That means chemotherapy can also reach cancer that has spread to places such as the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Chemotherapy works primarily by targeting cells that grow and divide quickly. Because cancer cells tend to grow and divide rapidly, they can be particularly vulnerable to these medications.

However, some healthy cells also grow and divide quickly. This is why chemotherapy can cause side effects.

"The good thing in 2026 is we, for lung cancer, have a lot of treatments that we can give to help with those side effects," Luo said.

For patients, that can mean side effects don't necessarily have to prevent them from continuing with their normal activities. Their oncology team can often recommend medications and other strategies to help manage them.

What Is Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer?

Targeted therapy works differently from traditional chemotherapy.

Luo describes targeted therapy as treatment designed to focus on a specific mutation or marker associated with cancer cells.

Targeted therapies may be given as pills, intravenously or, with some newer treatments, through an injection under the skin, known as a subcutaneous treatment.

The goal is to target a particular feature of the cancer, such as a mutation in the cancer cell's DNA or a specific marker on the surface of the cancer cell.

This is one reason biomarker testing is so important for people diagnosed with lung cancer.

A biomarker test can look for genetic changes or other characteristics in a patient's cancer that may help doctors determine whether a targeted treatment is an option.

Luo encourages people who have recently been diagnosed with lung cancer to ask their oncology team whether biomarker testing has been performed.

"Hey, have I had biomarker testing?" is one simple question she recommends patients ask.

What Is Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer?

Immunotherapy takes another approach.

Rather than directly targeting cancer cells in the same way as chemotherapy or targeting a specific mutation like some targeted therapies, immunotherapy works by helping the body's own immune system recognize and attack cancer.

Luo explains that the immune system is constantly moving throughout the body, monitoring cells and looking for things that don't belong, such as viruses, bacteria or abnormal cells.

Cancer can sometimes evade this immune surveillance by essentially making itself look more like a normal cell.

Immunotherapy can help "reawaken" or reprogram the immune system so that it can better recognize and attack cancer cells.

Most immunotherapy is given intravenously, although some newer treatments can be given subcutaneously.

Why Is Biomarker Testing Important Before Lung Cancer Treatment?

For many people with a new lung cancer diagnosis, biomarker testing can be an important part of determining which treatments may be appropriate.

Luo says biomarker testing has become essential in lung cancer because researchers and doctors have identified mutations and other characteristics that can be matched with specific treatment strategies.

This can apply to both early-stage lung cancer and lung cancer that has spread beyond the lungs.

"Targeted therapy, so the mutation that your cancer has, actually has treatment strategies both in early-stage lung cancer and in lung cancer that spread beyond the lungs," Luo explained.

Because treatment options can depend on the biology of an individual's cancer, patients may want to ask their oncologist whether biomarker testing has been completed and what the results mean for their treatment options.

How Can Patients Manage Lung Cancer Treatment Side Effects?

Side effects are a major concern for many people starting cancer treatment. Luo recommends that patients learn about potential side effects before treatment begins, rather than waiting until they experience them.

She also encourages patients to involve the people they live with in that education.

Sometimes, a family member or caregiver may notice that something seems different before the patient does. Having everyone understand what side effects to watch for can make it easier to recognize a problem and contact the care team when needed.

Luo recommends thinking about side effects in two ways:

• How common is the side effect?
• How serious is the side effect?

Patients should understand both the common side effects they may experience and the less common symptoms that could require more immediate medical attention.

A Resource for Understanding Chemotherapy Side Effects

For patients looking for reliable information about treatment side effects, Luo recommends the National Cancer Institute's "Chemotherapy and You" resource.

The free guide covers potential side effects and provides strategies that may help patients manage them. Luo describes it as an "encyclopedia" that patients can use to look up specific concerns, such as nausea or skin changes.

Rather than trying to read the entire resource at once, patients can use it as a reference when questions come up.

Most importantly, patients should discuss side effects with their oncology team. There may be medications, lifestyle strategies or other interventions that can help make treatment more manageable.

Can Patients Still Enjoy Their Lives During Lung Cancer Treatment?

A lung cancer diagnosis and treatment can understandably create concerns about how much treatment will disrupt everyday life.

But Luo says patients today have more options for managing treatment-related side effects.

"In lung cancer in 2026, we're very fortunate that we have actually, for the most part, great treatments to manage side effects," she said.

While every patient's experience is different, she says many of her patients are able to continue enjoying their lives while receiving treatment.

The key is communication. Patients should tell their care team about new or worsening symptoms rather than assuming they are simply something they have to live with.

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