Sadly, lung cancer 5 year survival rates are near zero with a very high rate of death in the first year or so.
Lung cancer survival rates
The long-term outcome (prognosis) depends on the type and stage of your lung cancer. The overall 5-year survival rate of 15% is low because the stage of lung cancer is often advanced at the time of diagnosis.1
Non–small cell cancer survival rates
Non–small cell lung cancer generally grows and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer. The survival rates decrease as the stage of cancer involves lymph nodes or other body organs.2, 3
* Stage IA or IB with no lymph node involvement, when treated with surgery, has a 5-year survival rate of 43% to 64%.
* Stage IIA or IIB with nearby lymph node involvement, when treated with surgery, has a 5-year survival rate of 20% to 40%.
* Stage IIIA with a single lymph node in the center of the chest involved, when treated with surgery, has a 5-year survival rate of 15% to 25%.
* Stage IIIB with lymph node involvement in the chest (mediastinum) and neck, when treated with radiation without other treatment, has a 5-year survival rate between 5% and 7%.
* Stage IIIB with lymph node involvement in the chest (mediastinum) and neck, when treated with radiation and chemotherapy, has a 5-year survival rate between 7% and 17%.
* Stage IV with extensive lymph node involvement or cancer that has spread to other organs (metastatic disease), when treated with chemotherapy and palliative care to reduce symptoms and increase comfort, has a 1-year survival rate of 15% to 35%. The 1-year survival rate with palliative care alone is about 10%. The 5-year survival rate in stage IV is very low, less than 2%.
Recurrent non–small cell lung cancer survival rates
Your prognosis with non–small cell lung cancer that comes back (recurrent cancer) depends on the stage of your lung cancer when it was first diagnosed, as well as the stage of your cancer when it recurs in the lungs. Treatment for recurrent cancer is based on the stage of the cancer at the time of recurrence.
Small cell cancer survival rates
Small cell lung cancer is less common than non–small cell cancer but grows very rapidly in most cases and is more likely to spread to other organs. Small cell lung cancer is staged as limited or extensive. Limited small cell cancer is found only in one lung and in nearby lymph nodes. Extensive small cell cancer has spread outside of the lung to other tissues in the chest or to other parts of the body (metastasized). Only about one-third of people with small cell cancer have limited disease at the time of diagnosis, with two-thirds having extensive disease.4
* Limited disease treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy has an average survival time of 18 to 20 months. The 2-year survival rate is 20% to 40%.
* Extensive disease treated with chemotherapy has an average survival time of 10 to 12 months. The 2-year survival rate is 1% to 3%.
Recurrent small cell lung cancer survival rates
Recurrent disease has a poor prognosis, with most people living only 2 to 3 months after they are diagnosed with recurrent disease.
References
Citations
1.
American Cancer Society (2003). What are the key statistics for lung cancer? Detailed Guide: Lung Cancer [Online]. Available: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_1x.asp?rnav=criov&dt=26.
2.
Chesnutt MS, Prendergast TJ (2003). Pulmonary neoplasms. In LM Tierney Jr et al., eds., Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, 42nd ed., pp. 2265– 275. New York: McGraw-Hill.
3.
Jablons D, et al (2003). Neoplasms of the lung. In LW Way, GM Doherty, eds., Current Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment, 11th ed., pp. 395–407.
4.
Glissan BS, et al. (2001). Small-cell lung cancer. In Cancer Management: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 5th ed., pp. 127–135. New York: PRR.