Long-standing cough
A cough that persists for weeks and doesn't respond to usual treatment.
Cancers We Treat
Lung cancer treatment is now
Lung cancer treatment is now
precise and personalised.
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in Singaporean men and third in women. It can grow without symptoms — but 21st-century treatment is multidisciplinary, personalised and precise, from SBRT that ablates early tumours in a few sessions to immunotherapy and targeted therapy matched to your tumour's biology.
2ndMost common cancer in Singaporean men
3–5SBRT sessions for early-stage disease
2Main types: NSCLC and SCLC
Image · placeholderAn AARO care coordinator preparing a patient before lung cancer treatment.
Image · placeholderAnatomy illustration — the lungs and airways
Lung Cancer · What is it
Uncontrolled growth in one or both lungs.
Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs. It is dangerous precisely because tumours can grow to an advanced stage or large size without causing any symptoms — and tumour cells have a tendency to spread to nearby lymph nodes or, through the bloodstream, to distant organs.
There are two general types: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is the most common, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The distinction matters because their behaviour and treatment differ substantially.
Because the disease can advance silently, recognising symptoms early and acting on them quickly makes a real difference to the options available.
Lung Cancer · Symptoms
When to see a doctor.
Anyone experiencing these symptoms — especially smokers or former smokers — should seek medical advice as soon as possible.
Shortness of breath
Persistent breathlessness, especially if it's new or worsening.
Blood in the sputum
Coughing up blood, even in small amounts, always warrants prompt investigation.
Hoarseness
A change or hoarseness in the voice that doesn't resolve.
Unexplained weight loss
Losing weight without trying can accompany many cancers, including lung.
Chest pain
Persistent chest discomfort, particularly with breathing or coughing.
Lung Cancer · Diagnosis
How lung cancer is diagnosed.
Diagnosis establishes not just whether cancer is present, but its exact type, stage and molecular profile — because each determines a different treatment path.
Image · placeholderChest CT review — lung imaging on the console
Imaging
A chest CT visualises the tumour; PET-CT assesses activity and spread throughout the body.
Image · placeholderCT-guided biopsy procedure illustration
Biopsy
Tissue is sampled — by bronchoscopy or CT-guided needle — to confirm cancer and its type.
Image · placeholderMolecular pathology — profiling report on screen
Molecular profiling
The tumour is tested for driver mutations (EGFR, ALK and others) and PD-L1 — findings that unlock targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Image · placeholderPET-CT staging review with the oncologist
Staging
Brain MRI, PET-CT and mediastinal assessment establish the stage — which shapes whether treatment aims at cure or control.
Lung Cancer · Risk factors
What raises your risk?
Smoking is the dominant risk factor — including exposure you didn't choose.
Smoking
The main risk factor for lung cancer. Risk falls steadily after quitting — it's never too late to benefit.
Second-hand smoke
Inhaling smoke from someone smoking near you raises risk even if you've never smoked.
Third-hand smoke
Smoke residue on clothing and in rooms previously occupied by smokers also contributes to exposure.
Never-smoker lung cancer
Lung cancer in never-smokers — often driver-mutated — is notably common in Asian populations, especially women.
Occupational exposure
Asbestos, radon and certain industrial exposures raise long-term risk.
Family history
A close relative with lung cancer modestly increases your own risk.
Lung Cancer · Treatment
How AARO treats lung cancer.
Treatment is multidisciplinary and personalised — surgery, radiation and systemic therapy in the combination that fits your stage and your tumour's biology.
SBRT
For early-stage tumours — ablative precision radiation in 3–5 sessions, with outcomes comparable to surgery for suitable patients.
VMAT / IMRT
Modern intensity-modulated radiotherapy, often combined with chemotherapy for locally advanced disease.
Immunotherapy
Checkpoint inhibitors that release the immune system against the tumour — now standard across many lung cancer settings.
Targeted therapy
Oral drugs matched to driver mutations found on molecular profiling — precise, effective and generally well tolerated.
Lung Cancer · Precision
Hours of planning, for one careful treatment.
Every plan at AARO goes through detailed contouring, dose simulation, and independent physics review before a single beam is delivered. We do this so the radiation hits exactly the tissue that needs it — and avoids the healthy tissue around it.
Image · placeholderTwo AARO radiation therapists at the planning console, reviewing a treatment plan together on a multi-monitor workstation.
We plan every dose.
Our medical physicists and radiation therapists collaborate on each plan — contouring tumour and organs-at-risk, simulating dose distribution, and independently checking every parameter before delivery.
Image · placeholderAn AARO team member reviewing verification imaging at the console — daily image guidance before treatment.
We verify every session.
Imaging before each fraction confirms the target's position to the millimetre — so tight margins stay safe, and healthy tissue stays out of the high-dose region.
Image · placeholderA patient comfortably positioned beneath the Elekta linear accelerator with green laser positioning lights and the signature starry ceiling above.
Lung Cancer · What to expect
Quiet, precise, uneventful.
Each treatment session takes 15–30 minutes. You'll lie on a precision treatment couch beneath the linear accelerator. Positioning lasers and daily imaging align you to within a millimetre of the planned position.
You won't feel the radiation as it's delivered. There's no anaesthesia, no recovery time, and no overnight stay. Most patients drive themselves home after the session and return to normal activities the same day.
Image · placeholderThe four senior AARO specialists at the Centre for Stereotactic Radiosurgery.
Lung Cancer · Your specialists
Meet Dr David Tan→
Sub-specialist care.
Lung cancer at AARO is managed by sub-specialists in thoracic SBRT and systemic therapy — you'll meet the consultant whose expertise matches your case.
Dr David TanGynae · GI · Hepatobiliary · Lung
Dr Daniel TanSRS · SBRT · Brain · Spine · Prostate
Recently diagnosed? Or seeking a second opinion?
Book a 45–60 minute specialist consultation. We'll review your imaging and pathology, explain the options that apply to your case, and answer your questions.