Radiation therapy is used as the main course of non-small cell lung cancer treatment, even alongside chemotherapy, if there is no possibility of removing the cancerous tumor due to its size and location. It is also the prescribed course of action if the individual is not eligible for surgery or if they refuse to take surgery. Radiation therapy is used for non-small cell lung cancer treatment based on the stage of cancer alongside other factors that define the cancer’s characteristics.

Some of the ways in which radiation therapy is used have been listed as follows:

1. Post-surgery
Radiation therapy is administered after surgery, with or without chemotherapy, in order to ensure any form of residue cancer, that may have been missed during surgery, is completely flushed out.

2. Prior to surgery
In some cases, it might even be given before surgery, mostly along with chemotherapy so that the size of the tumor can be shrunk as much as possible. This will make the surgery process even easier and slightly less complicated.

3. Regional cancer growth
When the cancer growth is specific to certain regions like the brain or adrenal glands, then in order to treat the main lung tumor as well as the growth, radiation therapy would be prescribed alongside surgery.

4. Symptom relief
Non-small cell lung cancer can cause a variety of symptoms. Radiation therapy is effective in relieving symptoms such as pain, cough, trouble with swallowing, bleeding, or any other issues that result from the spread of cancer to other regions in the body. A good example is a brachytherapy which is used to help deal with airways that are blocked due to the cancerous growth.

5. Types of radiation
Essentially, radiation therapy can be broadly classified into two forms—external beam radiation therapy and internal radiation therapy (also known as brachytherapy).

6. Radiation side effects
As with any form of non-small cell lung cancer treatment, radiation therapy too has its fair share of side effects. If one has been prescribed radiation therapy, then it is important to sit down with a doctor and understand what side effects and symptoms one should be keeping a watch on and how they can be managed. The side effects that occur can be long- or short-term and the type of side effects that one experiences will depend on the area in which the radiation therapy is focused. Some of the common side effects may include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, changes to the skin (blistering, redness, or peeling), and hair loss.

Most of these symptoms go away after the non-small cell lung cancer treatment in the form of radiation therapy has been completed. But, if the individual is undergoing chemotherapy as well, then the effect of the symptoms can worsen or interact with other health problems. There are also possibilities of severe side effects when radiation therapy is used for non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to the brain. This, in turn, can compromise one’s quality of life, and therefore, one will need effective pain and symptom management strategies to help ease through the non-small cell cancer treatment process without any disruptions.