Is stage IV lung cancer treatable?

2026-09-15

Yes, stage IV lung cancer is treatable. Although stage IV (metastatic) disease is generally not permanently curable according to current medical consensus, with modern oncological therapies the disease can often be controlled over the long term, quality of life can be improved, and survival can be significantly prolonged. The treatment strategy depends on the histological subtype (non-small cell lung cancer [NSCLC] or small cell lung cancer [SCLC]) and molecular profiling (biomarkers).

In the case of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), targeted therapies (such as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors or ALK inhibitors) can be used based on targets identified during molecular testing, providing a significant survival benefit for patients harbouring mutations. In the absence of driver mutations, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor immunotherapies alone (in the setting of high PD-L1 expression) or combined with chemotherapy constitute the first-line standard of care.

In extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), the cornerstone of first-line therapy is the combination of platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy, supplemented by next-generation bispecific T-cell engagers or other systemic options following progression.

Systemic treatments can be complemented by supportive and palliative care, as well as targeted radiotherapy and local interventions for oligometastatic or symptomatic lesions, facilitating symptom relief and the safe continuation of active treatments.

References

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  10. A Study to Compare the Efficacy of Nivolumab and Relatlimab Plus Chemotherapy vs Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy for Stage IV/Recurrent Non-squamous Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With PD-L1 Expression ≥ 1% NCT06561386

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