Cancer which originates in the lungs is Lung Cancer. This is one of the commonest types of cancer and is the second most common cancer diagnosed in Americans. Lung cancer is also the primary cause of deaths from cancer in America. About 1 in 4 deaths which are related to cancer is from lung cancer.
Cigarette smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer in women who smoke is about 12 times higher than nonsmokers. The risk of lung cancer in men who smoke is about 23 times higher than nonsmokers.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the commonest type of lung cancer and accounts for about 85% of all the lung cancer cases.
What are the Stages of Lung Cancer?
Staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer is done according to its location and the extent of the cancer. The staging of the lung cancer decides the type of treatment needed.
Stage 1 Lung Cancer: In this stage, the cancer is confined only in the lungs.
Stage 2 Lung Cancer: In this stage, the cancer is in the lungs and can have metastasized to the lymph nodes adjacent to the lungs.
Stage 3 Lung Cancer: In this stage, cancer is localized in the lungs and has spread to the lymph nodes in the center of the chest.
Stage 3A Lung Cancer: In this stage, the cancer has become extensive, however, is localized to one side of the lung.
Stage 3B Lung Cancer: In this stage, the cancer has metastasized to the lymph nodes on both the sides of the lungs.
Stage 4 Lung Cancer: In this stage, the cancer has metastasized to both the lungs or has spread to other parts of the body. Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of lung cancer.
Staging of Small Cell Lung Cancer: Small Cell Lung Cancer develops less commonly than Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Small cell lung cancer is more aggressive and spreads very fast.
TNM Staging: There are 2 different types of staging methods used for Small Cell Lung Cancer. First one is the TNM Staging method. The “T” stands for Tumor; the “N” stands for Lymph Nodes; the “M” stands for Metastasis. A number is assigned to each category for determination of the stage of Small Cell Lung Cancer.
Another more common method for staging small cell lung cancer is the limited or extensive stage of cancer.
Limited Stage: In this stage, the cancer is localized to one lung and it may have metastasized to adjacent lymph nodes.
Extensive Stage: In this stage, the cancer is present in both the lungs and has spread to lymph nodes on both the sides of the body. The cancer may also have spread to distant organs.
What is the Survival Rate for Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is one of the most serious and fatal types of cancer. The survival rate of lung cancer varies and depends on the type of lung cancer and the stage of lung cancer.
A survival rate is a means of determining of how many patients are alive by a particular time period after the diagnosis of lung cancer. A five-year lung cancer survival rate gives an estimate of how many patients have survived after five years of diagnosis with lung cancer. The survival rate for patients who are diagnosed with early stage lung cancer is relatively good.
The five-year survival rate for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer depending on the stage of Lung Cancer is:
Survival Rate of Stage1A Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: About 49 %.
Survival Rate of Stage 1B Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: About 45 %.
Survival Rate of Stage 2A Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: About 30 %.
Survival Rate of Stage 2B Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: About 31%.
Survival Rate of Stage 3A Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: About 14 %.
Survival Rate of Stage 3B Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: About 5%.
Survival Rate of Stage 4 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: About 1%.
The five-year survival rate for Small cell lung cancer depending on the stage of lung cancer is:
Stage-1 Small Cell Lung Cancer: Survival Rate is about 31 %.
Stage- 2 Small Cell Lung Cancer: Survival Rate is about 19 %.
Stage- 3 Small Cell Lung Cancer: Survival Rate is about 8 %.
Stage- 4 Small Cell Lung Cancer: Survival Rate is about 2 %.
However, it is important to remember that these survival rates are only estimates. Each patient reacts differently to lung cancer and responds differently to the treatment. The survival rate of each patient depends on the patient’s general health, the stage of lung cancer and the treatment plan chalked out for the patient.
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