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“Unresectable” Lung Cancer: What Does It Mean?
Oncologist Stefan Balan, MD, explains what unresectable lung cancer means and how it’s treated without surgery.
Written by Lauren Smith, MA | Reviewed by Alexandra Schwarz, MD
Updated on August 31, 2023If you catch lung cancer at an early stage, you can often treat it with surgery. This is true for both major categories of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. However, some patients are not good candidates for surgery because they have unresectable lung cancer.
No matter what stage of lung cancer you have, your treatment team will find the appropriate therapy. Learn more about treatment for non-small cell lung cancer by stage.
Additional Medical Contributors
- Stefan Balan, MD, EMBAStefan Balan, MD, EMBA, is the Chief of Oncology and Hematology at Winchester Hospital, Beth Israel Lahey Clinic, and was formerly at RWJBarnabas Health in Jersey City, NJ.
References
National Cancer Institute. (2023). Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ) - patient version.
National Cancer Institute. (2023). Small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ) - patient version.
View All References (1)
National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Unresectable.
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