Several factors influence lung cancer survival rates. The type of cancer, the stage it is at when diagnosed, and the overall condition of the patient all play a role in determining survival. Cancer survival is usually expressed in terms of a five-year survival rate, which is the percentage of patients with cancer who survive at least five years after their cancer is diagnosed.
Studies have shown that five-year survival rates among non-small cell lung cancer patients vary by stage. Stage 0 patients have the best survival, of close to 50 percent at five years. Approximately one-quarter of stage II patients survive to five years, as compared to eight percent of stage III patients and only two percent of stage IV patients. In general, small cell lung cancer tends to proceed more rapidly to terminal disease. Ten to fifteen percent of patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer, and between one and two percent of those with extensive-stage cancer, survive to five years.
Estimates of cancer survival do not reflect current treatment advances that may lead to better chances of survival, because they are typically calculated for a five-year period that does not include the previous year. Further, each patient responds to treatment in a unique way; aggregate estimates do not account for individual factors that may improve or worsen the likelihood of survival.
The overall number of deaths in the United States from lung cancer rose throughout the 1980s, and began to drop for men in the 1990s. However, a similar decrease has not been observed among women. Over fifty thousand current and former smokers have been enrolled in the National Lung Screening Trial to find out if chest x-rays and CT scans taken before the onset of lung cancer symptoms may improve early diagnosis and therefore survival.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Small Cell Lung Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Between ten and twenty percent of all lung cancers are small cell lung cancers. They derive their name from the typical appearance of small, ‘oat’-like cancer cells under the microscope. This type of cancer is found almost exclusively in smokers or former smokers. Small cell...
-
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Survival Rate
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of malignant mesothelioma. Many factors may be involved in determining the survival rate for this aggressive cancer; some are better understood than others. Estimates of median survival time range from one to two years; survival depends on...
-
Lung Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Lung cancer is the most frequently lethal cancer in the United States. Among all causes of death, lung cancer ranks second after heart disease for males, and third after heart and cerebrovascular disease for females. In 2002 alone, over 150,000 people in the United States...
-
Lung Cancer Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The most commonly used treatments for lung cancer are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The exact treatment a lung cancer patient receives will depend on several factors. These include the type of cancer, the stage or extent to which it has spread at the time of...
-
Lung Cancer Symptoms
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
In approximately 25% of people with lung cancer, there are no symptoms and the cancer is detected during screening or a routine physical examination. However, in three-quarters of lung cancer patients there are warning symptoms and signs that can alert the patient or their physician....
-
Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Approximately 80 percent of people with lung cancer have non-small cell lung cancer. Depending on the type of cancer cell present, non-small cell cancer is in turn divided into several subtypes. Squamous cell carcinoma begins in thin, flat surface cells that line the respiratory tract,...
-
Lung Cancer Stages
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Cancers are staged depending on how far they have spread. Staging a cancer correctly is essential to select the most appropriate treatment option. A number of diagnostic tests, such as CT scans, MRIs, bronchoscopy, blood tests, bone scans, and biopsies are used to find out...
-
Asbestos Lung Cancer
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
People with a history of asbestos exposure are about seven times more likely to die from lung cancer than those who are unexposed to asbestos. Asbestos exposure is associated with all types of lung cancer, and with a rare type of cancer called malignant mesothelioma,...
-
Ovarian Cancer Mortality Rate
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mortality rate refers to the number of people dying due to a particular affliction. Ovarian cancer is a predominantly destructive cancer and is rarely detected in its early stages. It is the gynecological cancer with the highest mortality rate. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading...
-
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival Rates
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a cancer of the abdomen lining caused due to prolonged exposure to asbestos. Thousands of lawsuits are handled every year dealing with the issue of peritoneal mesothelioma and its effects. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 50 years after...