Lung Cancer Survival Rate: How Many People Survive Lung Cancer

Lung cancer Survival Rate

• Prognosis of the lung cancer or the survival rate – unless surgical treatment is practicable, the average period of survival, after diagnosis is made, is less than a year.
• Resection of the lung (pneumonectomy) or in some cases, of the lobe containing tumor (lobectomy) offers the best prospect of survival. The operation can be performed only on the small number of the cases (about 20%) in which the tumor is discovered at an early and relatively localized stage and pulmonary function is adequate.
• The tumor is liable to recur even after an apparently successful operation and only 30% of such patients survive for more than 5 years.
• Early diagnosis provides slightly better results, but the prognosis depends to an even greater extent on the histological type of tumor and on the presence or absence of metastatic deposits in the hilar lymph nodes. The outlook is particularly unfavorable when the tumor is a small cell carcinoma.

Lung cancer survival rate factors

How long people survive lung cancer after they are diagnosed with the problem depends on various factors

1. What is the type of lung cancer. There are two types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
2. What are the symptoms of lung cancer, like coughing, trouble with breathing
3. What stage of lung cancer was detected.
   Stages of lung cancer again depends on the type of lung cancer. Non-small lung cancer has stages: Occult, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4 and Recurrent. Small cell lung cancer has stages: Limited stage, Extensive stage and Recurrent.
4. The general physical health of the patient. Age may also matter sometimes
5. Whether the cancer has recurred or just been diagnosed.

Typically,the survival rate of patients with lung cancer are determined over a 5-year survival rate cycle. i.e. people who lived for 5 or more years after the lung cancer was detected for the first time. In a survey conducted some years ago, the 5 year lung cancer survival rate was found to be about 15%. 15 out of 100 people that were diagnosed with lung cancer survived for over years.

Treatment of  Lung Cancer

• Small tumors can be occasionally be eradicated by radiotherapy, but this form of treatment is of greatest value in the palliation of distressing compilations such as superior vena cava obstruction, recurrent hemoptysis and the pain due to the invasion of chest wall or by skeletal metastatic deposits.
• Trachea and main bronchi obstructions can be relieved temporarily by radiotherapy, but the later may initially produce tumor swelling and the dangerous increase in the degree of obstruction.
• The treatment of small cell lung cancer with combinations of cytotoxic drugs can increase the median survival rate of the person with this highly malignant type of bronchial carcinoma from 3 months to over a year.

How Many People Survive Lung Cancer

1. If the cancer is at Stage 0, which means it is in its very early stage, where it has affected only the top cellular layer, the 5 year survival rate is about 80%.  The cancer at this stage also has affected only a small part of the lung.
2. In Stage 1, the cancer has spread into deeper layers and may have affected a larger area. In such cases the 5 year survival rate for stage 1 lung cancer could be about 50%. i.e. out of 100 patients, 50 may live for 5 years or more.
3. At stage 2, the cancer is present in the lymph nodes. The patient at this stage seeks aggressive treatment. About 30% people who suffer from stage 2 lung cancer survive for 5 or more years.
4. As expected, at stage 3 the lung cancer has spread even further and may have affected other organs of your body including both your lungs. The survival rate in such cases varies drastically between 5% and 15%.
5. Stage 4  cancer of lung is a very advanced stage of cancer, at this stage the cancer has spread deep and wide. About 2-3% may survive for 5 years under such conditions.

In summary, as the lungs cancer cells spreads deeper and wider (with each stage) the survival rates drop as expected.

Surviving Lung Cancer Without Treatment

How many people survive lung cancer without treatment really varies from individual to individual. Which stage the of cancer the patient is in, his general health, the lifestyle could determine how many months or years that patient could survive lung cancer without treatment.

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