Should I choose radiation or surgery for stage 1 lung cancer?

This is such a challenging decision to face, and it's completely understandable to feel uncertain about which treatment path to choose. Having the opportunity to consult with both a radiation oncologist and a surgeon will give you valuable perspectives from specialists in each approach. Many factors can influence which option might be most suitable, including your overall health, the tumor's specific location and characteristics, and your personal preferences about recovery time and potential side effects. Consider preparing a list of questions about the benefits and risks of each treatment option to discuss with both specialists, as this can help you make the most informed decision for your unique situation.

I'm facing almost the exact same decision with my stage 1 NSCLC, so I completely understand how overwhelming this choice feels. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one struggling with weighing these two very different treatment paths.

I completely agree with taking your time to get both perspectives - and you might also want to ask each specialist about their experience with patients similar to your situation and what recovery looked like for them.

That's really solid advice - having those conversations with both specialists will be so helpful, and you might also want to ask them about what recovery looks like with each option since that can vary quite a bit between radiation and surgery.

Anne Cartrette Have you met with the surgeon yet? Are you leaning in One Direction or the other?

You have to find out what's best for you for your situation. God speed to you 🙏🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

I'm in a similar situation and struggling with the same decision - it's so overwhelming to weigh all the factors between radiation and surgery. You're definitely not alone in feeling uncertain about such an important choice, and I really appreciate you sharing this because it helps to know others are facing the same tough decisions.

Depends on whether they're talking about taking a section of lung or a lobe. Surgery recovery is very painful even with VATS and no guarantee the cancer won't spread. Radiation will kill the tumor and a bit of lung tissue but you won't notice much impact on your daily life and you won't have to go through hospitalization. If it's small enough to zap that's what I'd do. Mine wasn't small so they took out a lobe. It sucked.

The good news is Stage 1 cancer is curative. New tools have not only increased survival rates but have also provided cures. Multiple immunotherapy and targeted therapies have produced dramatic outcome changes. Surgery combined with chemo and targeted therapies are changing lives. I have stage 2 NSCLC with an EGFR non operable cancer. Past three PET cancer show no metastasis and a vanishing original tumor. I went through two rounds of Chemo one with daily proton treatments (6weeks) and have been taking Tagrisso for 15 months. Find the top support team in your area and educate yourself on options. Keep positive knowing Stage 1 is survivable.

Kenneth A, yes, I am aware of that and very thankful that it is stage one. hope you keep getting good results.

I was diagnosed at St 1 with a nodule in my RUL 10/2020. I had a RUL lobectomy and no other treatment. It was difficult and painful post op but I was back to hiking 6 miles in that first year after surgery. 5 years later it appears I am having a recurrence at the surgery incision line. It’s still localized according to PET scan. No mets 👏👏 They can’t biopsy it because of the location. Waiting for liquid biopsy results. Talking about concurrent chemo and radiation. Other practitioners say wait and rescan. Back to you, I wonder if I had radiation after surgery if it still would’ve come back. I do get winded sometimes after walking up a large flight of stairs and initially when hiking, but it gets better the more I hike. My advice would be to get options, research the outcomes and make the decision you feel more comfortable with. Also, I would recommend getting on a very clean diet and researching herbs, foods, etc that can boost your immune system. There is so much information out there and I wish I had done more of those things. Would it have helped…. ? But I think it’s worth a try. Best of luck with making your decision.

Katie, sorry to hear you have a recurrence, that really stinks for you. I met with a surgeon yesterday and was told you have less of a chance of recurrence with surgery then with radiation. However, I have decided to go with radiation, as there is no pain and no recovery time. I have had radiation in the past for breast cancer. The biggest problem was just going every day. I have been told I would only need five radiation treatments though so that is not bad at all. I see the radiation oncologist on Monday. I hope for the best outcome for you.

My situation started out exactly like yours. I had 5 radiation treatments on the right upper lobe. Last CT showed no growth or shrinkage. It also showed same now in left upper lobe and I have had 8 radiation treatments on that spot. PET scheduled for end of March and I’m very concerned. I am experiencing mild coughing and lots of stiffness with muscle pain along with fatigue without exertion. I am really pushing myself to stay engaged and active as I enjoy reading, cooking, decorating, and gardening. Looking forward to good health and warm weather!