Radiation Therapy

See the current version of the SEER Program Coding Manual under Reporting Guidelines, Section VII: First Course of Therapy, for complete coding instructions for the radiation data items.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. Radiation for Lung is usually done in conjunction with chemotherapy, which is called chemoradiation.

In addition, postoperative chemoradiation (or adjuvant therapy) may also be done. The main goal of adjuvant therapy is to eradicate residual disease, reducing local recurrence. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer - Guidelines DetailExternal Website Policy or Small Cell Lung Cancer - Guidelines DetailExternal Website Policy.

Document radiation details in NAACCR Item #’s

  • #2620: Text-Dx Proc-Radiation (Beam)
  • #2630: Text-Dx Proc-Radiation Other

See Additional Resources for Lung Cancer Treatment

Updated: April 8, 2026

Suggested Citation

SEER Training Modules: Radiation Therapy. U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. Cited 12 April 2026. Available from: https://training.seer.cancer.gov.