The prognosis of lung cancer depends on many things including the location of the cancer, the size of the cancer, the presence of the symptoms, and the health of the patient. If the patient is diagnosed with SCLC (small cell lung cancer) then the patient is given an estimated time of 2-4 months to live. This time can be lengthened if the patient is able to be treated with chemotherapy in combination with other methods. With SCLC only 5%-10% percent of the diagnosed patients are still alive five years after being diagnosed.
If the patient is diagnosed with NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) the prognosis depends on the stage of the tumor at the time of diagnosis. Results with standard treatment are poor in all but the smallest cancers that can be removed surgically. If the cancer is in stage one it can most likely be completely removed. This removal causes a 75% survival rate in stage one.
Over all, the prognosis for lung cancer is extremely low when compared to other types of cancers. The overall five-year survival rate for lung cancer is about 16%. Colon cancer has a 65%, breast cancer has an 89%, and prostate cancer has a 90% overall five-year survival rate.
The percentage of patients still alive is shocking.
ReplyDeleteThese percentages are good, informative, and quite fascinating because I had no idea that only 5-10% of diagnosed patients live after five years.
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