Natural Treatment for Lung Cancer
Natural treatment for lung cancer includes supplements, vitamins, and dietary changes, all of which may help patients following a diagnosis. Natural therapies should not be substituted for standard treatments, but can supplement them to ease symptoms. Find out more about natural lung cancer treatments below.
What Is Natural Treatment for Lung Cancer?
Natural treatment for lung cancer may be used in tandem with standard therapies as a way to help patients feel better.
Natural therapies are a type of alternative treatment for lung cancer. These are not proven to cure patients, but offer more ways to make them feel better beyond standard care options.
Some of the best natural treatments for lung cancer include:
- Changes to diet
- Supplements
- Medical marijuana and CBD
Top oncologists (cancer doctors) can recommend safe-to-use natural therapies as part of a larger lung cancer treatment plan. Never substitute natural lung cancer therapies for well-accepted treatments like surgery or chemotherapy, as doing so may actually harm you.
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide to explore the best treatments for you and learn how to afford them.
- Understand risk factors
- Find top treatments
- Pursue compensation
Types of Natural Treatment for Lung Cancer
From dietary changes to herbal remedies, there’s a range of natural treatments patients may benefit from following a lung cancer diagnosis. Find notable options for natural treatment for lung cancer below.
Dietary Changes
A well-balanced diet plays a key role in supporting lung cancer patients during treatment. Nutrient-rich foods can help strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation, and improve the body’s ability to tolerate treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Changes to your diet that may help with lung cancer include:
- Avoiding alcohol and processed foods: These can contribute to the development of lung cancer and may even impact how effective treatments are.
- Consuming enough protein: Lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and eggs can help your body recover and maintain strength, according to the Sarah Cannon Cancer Network.
- Eating whole grain foods: Oatmeal, brown rice, and whole wheat bread contain fiber and carbohydrates, giving you more energy throughout the day.
- Including fruit and vegetables: Citrus fruits, leafy greens, and berries contain naturally occurring nutrients like antioxidants. Sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli, cauliflower, and sprouts, may potentially inhibit lung cancer cells and disrupt tumor development.
While no single diet can cure cancer, a nutrient-rich approach may support cancer prevention and overall well-being. It’s best to work with a health care provider or a dietitian specializing in integrative medicine who can provide personalized recommendations for lung cancer natural treatments.
CBD and Medical Marijuana
Cannabis-based treatments like cannabidiol (CBD) and medical marijuana may offer relief from lung cancer symptoms and side effects of treatments like chemotherapy.
Cannabis therapies can help lung cancer patients manage:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain
Patients with lung cancer should avoid smoking medical marijuana, as this can damage the lungs. Instead, doctors can recommend CBD oils or edible marijuana products if they may be helpful.
“While commercially available cannabis compounds are FDA-approved to reduce cancer treatment–related side effects such as nausea and vomiting and to improve appetite, no clinical trials have shown that cannabis products can treat cancer.”
– Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
As of 2025, 46 states have legalized the use of CBD and 39 states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Supplements
Certain herbs and spices may have anti-cancer effects, and could potentially help your body following a lung cancer diagnosis.
These herbal supplements are natural treatments for lung cancer:
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties and is also a good antioxidant. It may help patients when used prior to and after conventional treatments.
- Garlic: Some studies suggest regular garlic consumption may reduce lung cancer risk. Like cinnamon, garlic has antioxidant properties.
- Ginger: This spice can be used in tea and food to help ease nausea, which many lung cancer patients experience. It also contains compounds that may reduce inflammation and improve digestion during chemotherapy.
- Vitamins: Vitamin D can boost the immune system and may play a role in preventing the development of tumors.
Always remember to consult with your lung cancer doctors before starting any dietary supplements, as some could actually make things worse.
The LUNGevity Foundation notes that a common supplement called turmeric could interact with your lung cancer treatment plan and medications. A 2023 study from The Journal of Clinical Investigation also found that vitamins C and E could potentially make it easier for cancer tumors to grow.
Call (877) 446-5767 now to learn more about lung cancer treatments and how to get help affording the care you deserve.
Other Types of Natural Treatment for Lung Cancer
Many other complementary therapies may be considered natural treatment for lung cancer.
These include:
- Acupuncture
- Massage therapy
- Reiki
- Tai chi
- Traditional Chinese medicine
- Yoga
You can explore different options by consulting with your care team or exploring online.
How Are Natural Treatments Used in Lung Cancer Care?
Natural treatment for lung cancer can be part of integrative oncology. Through this treatment strategy, patients receive life-extending, medically accepted lung cancer therapies like surgery along with natural ones to ease symptoms.
Some cancer centers offer integrative care programs that include natural therapies, while others may refer patients to external specialists.
Although natural treatments can be helpful, they should be used responsibly and never replace standard oncology care. Always consult a doctor before making changes to your treatment plan.
“The internet is full of ‘miracle cures’ for cancer and alleged surefire ways to prevent it, and well-meaning people may urge cancer patients to just try them out in hopes of eliminating their disease.”
– Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Research and Clinical Trials for Natural Lung Cancer Treatments
Many ongoing lung cancer clinical trials are studying how natural therapies can be used alongside standard treatments to help patients.
Just a few ongoing clinical trials testing natural treatment for lung cancer are:
- Fasting and immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Doctors are studying how fasting (avoiding eating and drinking) could help reduce immunotherapy side effects and increase this treatment’s response in patients with NSCLC.
- Studying different diets for stage 3 lung cancer: The LUNGDIET study will take note of any special diets (including fasting) patients are using before administering treatment. Patients in the study have stage 3 lung cancer that can’t be treated with surgery.
- Using honokiol for NSCLC: Researchers in Houston are adding a dietary supplement called honokiol to the treatment plans of early-stage NSCLC patients. Numerous other studies have reported that honokiol has anticancer effects.
Consult with a doctor for help finding clinical trials near you that are testing natural remedies for lung cancer.
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide for help exploring treatments after a lung cancer diagnosis.
- Understand risk factors
- Find top treatments
- Pursue compensation
Find Natural Treatment for Lung Cancer Symptoms
Natural treatment for lung cancer can potentially help ease symptoms, manage side effects of other therapies, and improve your quality of life.
Speak with a lung cancer doctor if you or a loved one is interested in pursuing natural treatment for lung cancer.
Top lung cancer specialists can:
- Determine which natural lung cancer therapies will work best
- Recommend a plan combining natural and standard treatments
- Steer you away from using potentially harmful alternative treatments
At Lung Cancer Group, we can help eligible patients and families explore their treatment options and pursue the financial compensation needed to pay for them.
Get our Free Lung Cancer Guide or call (877) 446-5767 now to get started.
Lung Cancer Natural Treatment FAQs
What starves lung cancer cells?
Doctors can starve lung cancer cells by depriving them of nutrients such as glutamine through drugs like DRP-104. They can also target PEPCK, an enzyme lung cancer cells use to make glutamine into energy.
Natural treatment for lung cancer is currently not known to starve cells. However, natural ways to treat lung cancer can make patients feel better and help to manage the side effects of more serious treatments.
Can lung cancer be cured naturally?
There’s no natural cure for lung cancer — you’ll need to get major medical treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, or more to potentially live longer.
If lung cancer is caught before it has spread and effectively treated, doctors may consider you cured. Supplements, medical marijuana, dietary changes, and more can all potentially help with healing lung cancer naturally when used along with benchmark therapies.
Call (877) 446-5767 to learn more about accessing and affording lung cancer treatments that could help you live longer or possibly cure you.
What kills cancer cells in the lungs?
Many treatments can kill cancer cells in the lungs, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
You may hear or read online that natural treatments for lung cancer could help kill cells. Currently, natural therapies are only palliative (pain-relieving), and there’s no evidence that any can actually kill cancer cells.
Fortunately, you can receive both natural treatment for lung cancer along with well-accepted therapies under the guidance of a specialist.
Is there stage 4 lung cancer natural treatment?
Yes, natural therapies like diet changes and supplements derived from herbs could help ease some symptoms of stage 4 lung cancer.
With that said, stage 4 lung cancer is the last and most aggressive stage, and tumors may be found throughout the body. For this reason, it’s important to pursue major medical treatments offered by top doctors before starting any natural remedies.
What kills cancer cells naturally in the body?
The body’s immune system naturally kills cancer cells. However, lung cancer cells can hide from the immune response and spread unchecked.
Doctors can administer a treatment called immunotherapy to improve the immune system’s ability to fight lung cancer. Other natural treatments such as diet changes can also help slightly by providing nutrients, but shouldn’t be substituted for well-accepted medical therapies.
Get a Free Lung Cancer Guide to explore the best treatments available after a lung cancer diagnosis.
