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Lung cancer · Help and support

Help with understanding your lung cancer appointment

Your lung cancer team and nurse specialist can explain your results, the choices available and the next steps. Bring questions and ask them to show you what they mean.

Open the explorer Read the guide

If you feel unwell during or after treatment, use the 24-hour number your hospital team gave you. Otherwise call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

Questions to ask your team

  1. Can you show me where the tumour is, and how big it is?
  2. What type of lung cancer is it, and has it spread to lymph nodes or anywhere else?
  3. What are my treatment choices, and what are the benefits and likely effects of each?
  4. If surgery is possible, how much of the lung would be removed, and how will my breathing be afterwards?
  5. Could radiotherapy such as SABR be an option instead of surgery?
  6. Are there any tests on the tumour that could open up targeted treatments or immunotherapy?
  7. What can I do to be as fit as possible before treatment?
  8. Who do I call if I’m worried, and what number do I use out of hours?

Someone to talk to

Words you may hear

Lobe
One of the sections of a lung. The right lung has three, the left two.
Lobectomy
An operation to remove one lobe of a lung.
Wedge resection or segmentectomy
An operation to remove a smaller part of a lobe.
Pneumonectomy
An operation to remove a whole lung.
SABR
Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy: a few doses of precisely aimed, high-dose radiotherapy.
Hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes
Lymph nodes at the root of the lung and in the centre of the chest.
PET-CT
A scan that shows how active tissues are, used to look for spread.
Lung cancer nurse specialist
A specialist nurse who supports you through diagnosis and treatment.

Trusted information

The explorer is a simplified illustration for a conversation with your team. It cannot interpret your report, diagnose cancer, stage it or tell you which treatment is right.