Lung cancer survival rates depend upon the extent of the cancer
Researchers estimate lung cancer survival rates from a cross section of cancer patients. These rates indicate only the average survival rate of a patient diagnosed with lung cancer, However, they cannot accurately predict which patient will survive the longest and which patient will succumb to his disease early on. To understand the survival rates of patients with lung cancer, a progression chart, consisting of five numerical stages of cancer, is typically used when making a determination. These figures do not take the individual's choice of cancer treatment into account.
Instructions
1. If the cancer is detected early and confined to a small area, the patient as a relatively high survival rate. In Stage 0 of lung cancer progression, there is limited cancer present in the lung and it affects only the top cellular layer of the lung. The five-year survival rate for a Stage 0 patient is as high as 80-percent.
2. Expect a slightly lower survival rate if the patient receives a Stage 1 diagnosis. At this stage, the lung cancer is limited to one lung but it extends deeper into the layers of the lung. It may also involve a larger area. The five-year survival rate for Stage 1 is around 50 percent.
3. Seek aggressive treatment for Stage 2 lung cancer patients. In Stage 2, the cancer is now present in the lymph nodes. This makes it harder to contain the cancer, but up to 30 percent of victims still survive for five years.
4. Notice a lower survival rate for patients suffering from Stage 3 lung cancer. Stage 3 occurs when the cancer spreads from the lungs and the lymph nodes to the inner chest cavity and other internal organs. Both lungs may now show signs of cancer. In Stage 3, the five-year survival rate drops to between five and 15 percent.
5. Patients diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer have the lowest survival rate. At this point, the cancer is in many organs and other places in the body. Since the human body may not withstand the amount of treatment necessary to kill the cancer cells, chances of survival are very low. Yet, up to two percent of Stage 4 lung cancer victims survive for five years.
6. Ask the doctor if the lung cancer is considered "limited" or "extended," for further clarification on survival rates. Even within the above stages, lung cancer may be better or worse, and this will affect the patient's survival outlook.
Tags: survival rate, lung cancer, Stage lung, survival rates, five-year survival, five-year survival rate
