Patients with COPD may be especially hesitant about lung surgery when facing lung cancer, but surgery remains the most effective treatment for non–small cell lung cancer when feasible, according to experts. For those who are not surgical candidates, less invasive options exist, with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) the standard noninvasive treatment for early-stage disease, delivering targeted high-dose radiation over three to five sessions while sparing healthy tissue.

Some individuals with COPD and lung cancer may be eligible for less invasive options.