Prognosis for Lung Cancer Patients
Prognosis is, by definition, the probable outcome of a disease. When deciding on the prognosis of a patient diagnosed with lung cancer, the oncologist takes into account many factors. These include the stage of the disease, the overall health of the patient and the therapies available to the patient.
One of the most vital pieces of determining the prognosis of a patient with lung cancer is the stage at which the disease is diagnosed. Patients who are diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer in stage 1, for instance, may have as much as a 75% five year survival rate. Patients diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in the later stages, by contrast, face a 50% chance of death within four months.
Early diagnosis is a key element in expanding the options for treatment and increasing the odds of survival for a lung cancer patient. The earlier the cancer is caught, the more types of effective treatment are available. Once the cancer has begun to metastasize - spread to other organs - the chances for survival drop dramatically.
Most prognoses are based on statistics. They can be extremely alarming, particularly if you look only at overall statistics. The news is far different if you break things down and look at the prognoses for more specific situations. For instance:
When lung cancer is diagnosed in the very early stages, before it has spread to the lymph nodes and it is confined to a small tumor, the prognosis for five year survival is 80%.
Non-small lung cancer diagnosed after the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, but where only one set of lymph nodes is involved have a five year survival rate of 50%.
The five year survival rate for patients who undergo successful surgery to remove a tumor is approximately 75%.
Those diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in the limited (early stages) have a 35-40% five year survival rate.
One thing that affects the outcome of lung cancer greatly is the patient's overall health. The healthier a person is outside their cancer diagnosis, the better their prognosis for survival. This is in part because their bodies withstand the treatments far more readily than those who are in poor health. If a person is healthy enough to do most things for themselves, their prognosis for a positive outcome goes up significantly.
For this reason, no matter what your doctor tells you, it is important to do what you can to take care of yourself. While nutrition may not provide a 'cure' for lung cancer, for instance, eating well most certainly can affect the eventual outcome of the disease. Eating a healthy diet may be difficult during chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but it can make a major difference in both your quality of life during treatment and the eventual outcome of the treatment. The same goes for your attitude - the more positive you can be, the better your chances of getting through a battle with lung cancer alive and smiling.
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.