Booking Health Announces Expanded Access to Stage 4 Lung Cancer Treatments During Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Stage 4 Lung Cancer

Langenfeld, Germany, Nov. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Booking Health, a global facilitator of international medical care, announced today a timely initiative aimed at improving access to advanced treatments for stage 4 lung cancer patients during Lung Cancer Awareness Month. In response to rising global diagnoses and survival disparities, the company is working with leading German oncology centers to connect patients to innovative therapies—including immunotherapy, targeted drugs, and interventional oncology—that are reshaping late-stage cancer care.

Lung cancer remains the second most diagnosed cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. With nearly 70% of cases diagnosed at advanced stages, many patients face a grim prognosis—especially those in stage 4, where five-year survival rates fall below 10%. Booking Health’s announcement comes as a response to this urgent need: by leveraging Germany’s multidisciplinary treatment protocols, precision diagnostics, and minimally invasive procedures, the company aims to give international patients new hope for quality of life and extended survival, even after a late-stage diagnosis.

In the whole world, November is recognized as Lung Cancer Awareness Month. To promote early detection and support those affected by one of the most challenging diseases of our time, we want to turn our attention once again to stage 4 lung cancer.

It is unfortunate but the reality is that millions of people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. Due to the fact that many discover their diagnosis only after it has already progressed to its later stages, this disease used to have grim reputation. However, new discoveries in medicine make it possible to change what stage 4 means for lung cancer patients' survival and quality of life.

Today, international oncology centers offer treatment plans that incorporate advanced lung cancer therapies. Standard approaches can only aim to extend life. In contrast, these innovative strategies can provide comfort and personal choice, in addition to improved response and survival rates.

So, this November, we want to remind lung cancer patients that access to these life-improving options grows. Therefore, even in stage 4, they should not despair, as there is still room for progress and hope.

Global Burden of Lung Cancer

In every corner of our planet, the prevalence of lung cancer continues to rise. We, during this Lung Cancer Awareness Month, want to share what the most recent data shows to help spread the knowledge why it is so essential to identify lung cancer as early as possible:

According to the World Cancer Research Fund, more than 2.4 million new cases were reported in 2022. This makes lung cancer the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide.
It is also the leading cause of cancer deaths: each year, lung cancer is responsible for approximately 1.8 million fatalities.
The five-year lung cancer survival rates demonstrate that over 60% of patients can achieve improvements in early stages. On the other hand, in stage 4, this number drops to less than 10%.
Nearly 70% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at a late stage. This is largely due to symptoms being subtle or absent in the beginning.

In other words, patients should remember: the earlier lung cancer is identified, the greater their chance for effective treatment and long-term survival. Yet, for those already living with advanced disease, we would like to offer information on how current scientific progress can help improve lung cancer care.

Overview of Stage 4 Lung Cancer

Before we proceed with discussing treatment options available for lung cancer patients, we believe it is necessary to explain what stage 4 lung cancer means. Briefly put, the disease at this stage is called metastatic lung cancer. This means that the condition has reached the point at which cancer cells have spread beyond the lungs to distant parts of the body. This is why stage 4 lung cancer is considered advanced. Nevertheless, treatment can still help patients manage their symptoms and slow progression, as well as potentially extend their life.

Common sites of metastasis include:

Bones, which may cause pain or fractures.
Brain, leading to headaches, dizziness, or neurological changes.
Liver, where fatigue, nausea, or jaundice can appear.
The opposite lung or adrenal glands, often without early symptoms.

There are two primary subtypes:

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of cases. Many patients with this particular subtype can benefit from targeted therapies or immunotherapy that address specific mutations.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is more aggressive and fast-spreading. Yet, this subtype is often responsive to initial chemotherapy or radiation.

Is stage 4 lung cancer curable? We have to say that there is no simple answer to this question. Complete remission is rare. However, modern therapies can potentially transform it into a chronic, manageable condition for some, allowing patients to live longer and with better quality of life.

Diagnostic Methods and Biomarker Testing

For stage 4 lung cancer treatment to be effective, it is essential that doctors perform accurate diagnosis before any therapy begins. They must determine the cancer's location and spread, as well as its molecular profile, to be able to identify which biomarker testing and treatment strategies are most likely to work for each patient.

Imaging Studies

PET/CT scans combine positron emission tomography and computed tomography to reveal both the structure and metabolic activity of tumors.
MRI scans can offer high-resolution images of soft tissues and help detect metastases to the brain or spinal cord.
CT scans can provide a detailed map of the chest and other organs, which helps clinicians assess tumor size and distribution.

Tissue and Liquid Biopsies

A tissue biopsy is typically performed to confirm diagnosis. This procedure requires that a small sample of lung or metastatic tissue is examined under a microscope. We want to note that there are cases when tissue access can be limited. In such patients, a liquid biopsy may be used instead. Specifically, this test allows to detect fragments of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the blood. As such, it provides data about key genetic mutations and helps track treatment response over time.

Molecular Testing

As therapy needs to be customized to each patient's cancer profile, oncologists conduct the analysis of biomarkers such as PD-L1, EGFR mutations, ALK, ROS1, HER2 ex20ins, and others. These tests help reveal whether a tumor may respond better to immunotherapy, targeted drugs, or combination regimens.

Standard Treatments and Their Limitations

Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery have been considered the primary methods of stage 4 lung cancer care. These traditional treatment options have remained important for decades. Indeed, we cannot deny that these approaches can provide symptom control and prolong survival. However, they also come with challenges.

Chemotherapy

For many years, chemotherapy was the only available systemic treatment for metastatic lung cancer. This approach uses cytotoxic drugs to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells throughout the body. It can help shrink tumors and relieve symptoms. This method can also temporarily slow disease progression.

The disadvantage of chemotherapy is that it can affect both cancerous and healthy cells. As a result, it can often lead to side effects (e.g., fatigue, nausea, increased risk of infection, etc.). Generally, median survival with chemotherapy alone ranges from 6 to 12 months, depending on overall health and tumor biology.

Radiotherapy

In stage 4 disease, radiotherapy is often used palliatively – to reduce pain, bleeding, or coughing. This strategy uses high-energy beams to destroy cancer cells. This may sound concerning to some, but modern techniques like Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) allow doctors to deliver high doses of radiation with millimeter precision. SBRT can achieve local tumor control and improve long-term outcomes for some patients with limited metastases (known as oligometastatic disease).

Surgery

Unfortunately, surgical removal of tumors is rarely possible once the cancer has spread. Still, for a small number of patients with isolated metastases, surgery may be considered as part of a multimodal approach. The decision can depend on many factors. Some of the most important ones include the number of lesions and their location, as well as the patient's overall condition.

According to the NCCN Guidelines for metastatic lung cancer, standard therapies remain valuable, but they are no longer sufficient on their own. This is why molecular profiling, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy have been integrated into modern treatment plans to help stage 4 lung cancer patients achieve the best possible outcomes.

Modern Advances: Immunotherapy and Targeted Drugs

When it comes to modern treatment for stage 4 lung cancer, many might have noticed that it has gone through major changes. Not so long ago, scientists used to implement a "one-size-fits-all" approach. However, the situation is completely different today, as current therapy is guided by the unique biology of each tumor.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy for lung cancer is one of the methods that has changed how doctors treat and how patients live with advanced disease. This approach works by awakening the body's own defense system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

There are "brakes" that can prevent immune cells from destroying tumors. However, certain drugs can lift them. They are known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, which target PD-1 or PD-L1 proteins. Many patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have experienced extended survival when treated with this approach. Some respond for years, even after treatment ends.

We would like to add that there is a newer, personalized approach that goes one step further. It is called dendritic cell therapy. Dendritic cells are immune messengers that "teach" the body to recognize cancer antigens. In this therapy, a patient's own dendritic cells are collected and exposed to tumor-specific markers in the laboratory. Then, they are reintroduced to stimulate a focused T-cell attack against cancer cells.

According to the ASCO review on immunotherapy outcomes in NSCLC, the median overall survival for patients treated with immunotherapy combinations can exceed two years. We think that this is an extraordinary achievement compared to historic outcomes.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is a stage 4 lung cancer strategy that can disrupt specific genetic mutations that promote cancer growth. These include alterations in EGFR, ALK, ROS1, BRAF, HER2 ex20ins, RET, NTRK, and METex14 genes.

Patients whose tumors carry these mutations can receive oral drugs that can block the faulty signals. The results are encouraging: longer progression-free survival, improved daily functioning, and, in addition, a better overall prognosis.

Interventional Oncology: Minimally Invasive Therapies for Advanced Lung Cancer

Not every advanced lung cancer treatment requires open surgery or prolonged hospital stays. There have been developed targeted, image-guided procedures that directly treat tumors while sparing healthy tissues.

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)/CyberKnife

SBRT, and its robotic variant CyberKnife, use highly focused radiation beams to destroy tumors with sub-millimeter accuracy. Each session delivers a dose of radiation from multiple angles. As such, the implementation of this approach allows to minimize damage to surrounding organs.

In particular, SBRT is considered valuable for small, well-defined lung tumors or oligometastatic disease. This method allows to achieve impressive local control rates and can be completed in as few as one to five sessions.

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) and Microwave Ablation (MWA)

RFA and MWA are treatment strategies that destroy tumors using heat. However, patients should understand that they rely on different energy sources.

RFA applies electrical energy through a thin probe, heating the tissue until cancer cells are destroyed. It works best for small lesions.
MWA uses electromagnetic waves to create heat more rapidly and uniformly. Unlike RFA, it is less affected by nearby blood vessels, making it effective for larger or vascular tumors.

These minimally invasive techniques can be repeated if new lesions appear. They are often used when surgery is not an option.

Cryoablation

In contrast to heat-based methods, cryoablation freezes tumors by circulating argon gas through a probe inserted into the tumor. The resulting "ice ball" destroys cancer cells. Because the frozen zone is clearly visible on imaging, doctors can monitor and control the process in real time. Cryoablation is especially useful for tumors near sensitive structures, where tissue preservation is crucial.

Electrochemotherapy (ECT)

ECT enhances the effects of chemotherapy by applying short electrical pulses to the tumor area. These pulses temporarily increase the permeability of cancer cell membranes, allowing more of the drug to enter and act effectively.

ECT is often used in palliative settings, where the goal is to relieve symptoms. This treatment also helps reduce tumor size and improve comfort.

Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE)

One of the most promising innovations is TACE for lung cancer. This approach combines chemotherapy and embolization in a single procedure. Specifically, a catheter delivers anticancer drugs directly into the arteries feeding the tumor. Then, tiny particles block the blood flow, trapping the drug inside the tumor and cutting off its oxygen supply.

This localized approach enhances the drug's effectiveness and limits systemic side effects. TACE can be considered a valuable alternative for patients who cannot undergo surgery or standard chemotherapy. It can also be combined with immunotherapy for greater effect.

Lung Cancer Treatment in Germany

There is a consensus that patients with advanced or stage 4 lung cancer benefit from a highly coordinated, multidisciplinary approach. It should combine accurate diagnostics, innovative therapies, and compassionate care. Currently, many developed countries offer lung cancer treatment supported by evidence-based medicine. Yet, we want to suggest patients to consider lung cancer treatment in Germany.

In this country, multidisciplinary tumor boards, including oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, and molecular specialists, review every case together. German hospitals also offer early access to advanced lung cancer therapies and combination protocols that may not yet be widely available elsewhere. These include new immunotherapy agents, targeted inhibitors, and minimally invasive interventional oncology procedures such as RFA, MWA, and TACE.

Above all, when patients choose lung cancer treatment in Germany, they can rest assured that their treatment will be personalized, matching their unique medical profile.

Access Stage 4 Lung Cancer Treatment with Booking Health

During this Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Booking Health wants to support stage 4 lung cancer patients to help them reach the best medical care in Germany and worldwide. We work to ensure that international patients can receive access to advanced diagnostics, experienced oncologists, innovative treatments, and efficient coordination to improve their survival and quality of life.

Through Booking Health, patients can connect with leading German oncology centers, receive remote consultations, and explore therapies such as immunotherapy, TACE, or targeted treatments. We ensure that the entire process is transparent, supported, and focused on your well-being.

Contact Booking Health today to request a medical review and learn how modern medicine in Germany can help you manage stage 4 lung cancer.

About Booking Health

Booking Health™ is the international platform for rapid access to innovative treatments in the world’s leading certified clinics. Our network features over 250 top-tier hospitals across the globe, all distinguished by the exceptional levels of medical accreditation and expertise. By arranging care with the help of Booking Health company, you benefit from comprehensive medical support based on the latest innovations and personalized coordination. We offer cost saving up to 70% compared to direct booking via clinics — all without compromising on quality. Choosing Booking Health means more than just acquiring access to innovative world-class therapy - it means saving valuable time knowing that every detail is handled by professionals. Headquartered in Bad Hönningen, Germany and officially registered in Düsseldorf under HRB 106466, Booking Health proudly consults patients from over 75 countries for over a decade, offering services in 11 languages.

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Booking Health
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