Thoracic surgeons are specially trained to perform lung cancer surgery. Their goal is complete removal of the lung tumor as well as the nearby lymph nodes in the chest. The tumor must be removed with a surrounding border of normal lung tissue called the margin.

The lungs have a total of five lobes. There are three in the right lung and two in the left. Removing the lung which has the cancer is called a "lobectomy." The most effective type of surgery, even when the lung tumor is very small, lobectomy involves the removal of an entire lobe. If the surgeon is unable to remove the entire lobe for whatever reasons, just the tumor can be removed in a procedure called a wedge resection, surrounded by a margin of normal lung. For tumors close to the center of the chest, a pneumonectomy can be done. This is a surgical procedure that removes the entire lung. Patients can continue to breathe comfortably with a single lung.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Given by a medical oncologist, most chemotherapy used for lung cancer is injected into a patient's vein. This method is referred to as intravenous, or IV injection. These drugs are effective at killing cancer cells, but can also cause side effects that can include nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.

Chemotherapy may also damage normal cells in the body including skin, blood, and nerve cells. Low blood counts, increased risk of infection, hair loss, mouth sores, and/or numbness or tingling in the hands and feet can are common side effects. Various treatments prescribed by your oncologist can minimize many of these side effects. For instance, blood growth factor injections are used to keep white and red blood cell counts from becoming too low.

The newer chemotherapy methods cause fewer side effects. and are as effective as older treatments. Chemotherapy has been shown to improve both the length and quality of life in people with lung cancer of all stages.

Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, consists of using strategically aimed doses of radiation to kill cancer cells.  Performed by a specialist known as a radiation oncologist , radiation therapy destroys the cancer cells directly in its line of fire as well as any healthy cells  within its aim. Because of this it cannot be used to treat large areas of the body. Its common side effects are fatigue, cough, and loss of appetite. Most, however, go away after radiation treatment is completed.

In recent years, various molecular targeted therapies have been developed for the treatment of lung cancer. These stop the action of the abnormal proteins that are causing cancer cells to grow uncontrollably. These therapies are showing great promise and are constantly evolving, becoming more sophisticated and effective.

Alongside the broad range of standard treatments—radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery—to combat cancers at every stage, Mount Sinai offers pioneering new approaches such as:

• Minimally invasive lung cancer surgery
• Photodynamic therapy
• Laser therapy and stenting
• Radiofrequency ablation
• Access to Mount Sinai-led clinical trials, including those designed to carefully stage cancer and those employing leading-edge biologic therapies.
• Access to Mount Sinai-led researchers in, lung cancer, CT screening, and lung cancer biology, including molecular screening and the genetic profiling of tumors.