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November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month (#LCAwareness). In this Focus on Cancer blogpost, learn about the benefits of targeted molecular therapy at Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center.

Targeted molecular cancer therapy is a type of personalized lung cancer treatment designed to interrupt the unique molecular abnormalities that make cancer grow.

Targeted molecular cancer therapy uses personalized drugs that are designed for each individual through the rigorous analysis of their tumor's unique molecular makeup, or “fingerprint.” These targeted therapies have the potential to cause less impact on normal cells and bring about fewer side effects, while still improving patients’ quality of life.

Every lung cancer is different. So treatment for lung cancer should be tailored to each individual patient.

At Penn's Abramson Cancer Center, patients with lung cancer have access to every treatment option available. Doctors and patients work together to choose the best option for each patient based on their particular situation. Penn's expert care and leading-edge treatments give patients with lung cancer the best chance of an excellent outcome.

Advanced Lung Cancer Therapies at Penn

Lung cancer specialists at Penn Medicine develop personalized treatment plans that often include a combination of therapies designed to meet the specific needs of each patient.

• Lung-sparing surgery and other advanced surgical options such as sleeve resection and laser surgery
• Proton therapy, CyberKnife® and other radiation therapies
• Chemotherapy and biological therapies, including immunotherapy, vaccine therapy and targeted molecular therapies
• Clinical trials of the very latest treatments for lung cancer