Lung Cancer (cont.)
What is the prognosis (outcome) of lung cancer?
The prognosis of lung cancer refers to the chance for cure or prolongation of
life (survival) and is dependent upon where the cancer is localized the size of
the cancer, the presence of symptoms, the type of lung cancer, and the overall
health status of the patient.
SCLC has the most aggressive growth of all lung cancers, with a median
survival time of only two to four months after diagnosis when untreated. (That
is, by two to four months, half of all patients have died.) However, SCLC is
also the type of lung cancer most responsive to radiation therapy and
chemotherapy. Because SCLC spreads rapidly and is usually disseminated at the
time of diagnosis, methods such as surgical removal or localized radiation
therapy are less effective in treating this tumor type. However, when
chemotherapy is used alone or in combination with other methods, survival time
can be prolonged four- to fivefold; however, of all patients with SCLC, only
5%-10% are still alive five years after diagnosis. Most of those who survive
have limited-stage SCLC.
In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), results of standard treatment are
generally poor in all but the most localized cancers that can be surgically
removed. However, in stage I cancers that can be completely removed, five-year
survival approaches 75%. Radiation therapy can produce a cure in a small
minority of patients with NSCLC and leads to relief of symptoms in most
patients. In advanced-stage disease, chemotherapy offers modest improvements in
survival time, although overall survival rates are poor.
The overall prognosis for lung cancer is poor when compared with some other cancers. Survival rates for lung cancer are generally lower than those for most cancers,
with an overall five-year survival rate for lung cancer of about 16% compared to
65% for colon cancer, 89% for breast cancer, and
over 99% for prostate cancer.
Next: How can lung cancer be prevented? »
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