Customer question:
How high is the chance of survival when diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer? Anonymous customer's question
Pharmacist's answer:
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a more common type of lung cancer that includes several subtypes, such as adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.
General survival statistics for non-small cell lung cancer depend on the stage of the disease:
- Early stage (stage I and II): In patients with early-stage lung cancer, when the disease is limited to the lung tissue and has not spread outside the lungs, the five-year survival rate is often higher. For early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, the five-year survival rate can range from 60% to 80%.
- Advanced stage (stages III and IV): In advanced-stage lung cancer patients, when the disease has already spread beyond the lungs to regional lymph nodes or other organs, five-year survival is less favorable. For advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer, the five-year survival rate typically ranges between 10% and 40%, depending on the extent of the disease and response to treatment.
Treatment for non-small cell lung cancer usually includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted drugs, or immunotherapy, depending on the stage of the disease and other factors. New treatment approaches such as targeted drugs and immunotherapy have brought some hope for improving survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer cases. Check out more about lung cancer!
Interesting reading: Small-cell lung cancer survival
Interesting reading: Small-cell lung cancer
