Overview
This guideline covers diagnosing and managing non-small-cell and small-cell lung cancer. It aims to improve outcomes for people by ensuring that they get the most effective tests and treatments, and that they have access to suitable palliative care and follow-up.
Terminology used for cancer staging classification changes over time. The guideline recommendations were developed using the 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. For the AJCC staging system used in a NICE technology appraisal, see the relevant technology appraisal guidance.
This guideline refers to NHS England commissioning policies. In Wales and Northern Ireland, follow Welsh or Northern Irish commissioning positions if applicable.
Last reviewed: 10 February 2026
We added links to relevant technology appraisal guidance in the section on management. This is to provide easy access to relevant guidance at the right point in the guideline only and is not a change in practice. We also simplified the guideline by removing recommendations on general principles of care that are covered in other NICE guidelines.
This guideline updates and replaces NICE guideline CG121 (April 2011).
Next review: This guideline will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.
How we prioritise updating our guidance
Decisions about updating our guidance are made by NICE’s prioritisation board. For more information on the principles and process, see NICE-wide topic prioritisation: the manual.
For information about individual topics, including any decisions affecting this guideline, see the summary table of prioritisation board decisions.
Recommendations
This guideline includes recommendations on:
- Support from clinical nurse specialists
- Diagnosis and staging
- Management
- Palliative interventions and supportive and palliative care
- Follow-up and patient perspectives
Who is it for?
- Healthcare professionals
- Commissioners and providers
- People with lung cancer and their families and carers.
Guideline development process
How we develop NICE guidelines
Your responsibility
The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian.
All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.
Local commissioners and providers of healthcare have a responsibility to enable the guideline to be applied when individual professionals and people using services wish to use it. They should do so in the context of local and national priorities for funding and developing services, and in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities. Nothing in this guideline should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with complying with those duties.
Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.