Why do some people live for 3 months while others live for 30 years for the same lung cancer?

Why do some patients with lung cancer die within three months of diagnosis while others live for 30 years? The survival period of lung cancer depends on the pathological classification and tumor stage. In simple terms, the survival time of lung cancer patients depends on the malignancy of the cancer and how early it is discovered.

The pathological classification of lung cancer is closely related to the survival cycle. The so-called pathological classification of lung cancer actually refers to the classification of lung cancer. Generally speaking, lung cancer is mainly divided into small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer has a short survival rate

Small cell lung cancer is extremely malignant, and its cancer cells are highly invasive and prone to early metastasis. Because it grows quickly, it will have extensive metastasis to the lymph nodes and the whole body very early, which is the late stage.

Although small cell lung cancer is very sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and some patients even experience complete tumor disappearance after chemotherapy, this is often temporary. After a short "honeymoon period", the tumor often recurs again. What's worse is that after the recurrence, the tumor is often no longer sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Clinical studies show that the 5-year survival rate of limited-stage small cell lung cancer is less than 10%, and the 5-year survival rate of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer is less than 1%. According to my own clinical experience, the average survival period of small cell lung cancer is 3 to 6 months.

The survival period of lung cancer is related to its classification. The survival period of non-small cell lung cancer is longer than that of small cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer is further divided into squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell lung cancer.

Unlike small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer is generally treated with surgery if it is possible after diagnosis, because complete removal of the tumor is the most fundamental and effective method. After surgery, the cancer stage is combined to decide whether to use auxiliary treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In addition, the tumor is less malignant than small cell lung cancer, so the overall prognosis is better.

The pathological staging of lung cancer is closely related to the survival period. The staging of lung cancer is determined by a comprehensive assessment of the tumor size, the presence or absence of lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis.

According to the consensus of Chinese thoracic surgery experts on postoperative adjuvant treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (2018 edition), lung cancer is divided into stages I, II, III, and IV according to tumor size, invasion range, and whether there is distant metastasis. Stage I lung cancer has the best prognosis and the longest survival period, while stage IV lung cancer has the worst prognosis and the shortest survival period.

Clinical studies have shown that the 5-year survival rate of stage I lung cancer patients after surgery is as high as 90%. The 5-year survival rate of stage II non-small cell lung cancer patients is about 50%. If conditions permit, surgical treatment is recommended for stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients, and the 5-year survival rate after surgery is about 25%. The 5-year survival rate of stage IIIB and IV lung cancer patients who cannot undergo surgery is less than 10%.

The treatment of lung cancer is closely related to the survival period. I have seen two patients with lung cancer in the clinic before. Their tumors were similar in size and location. The CT scan showed that they were early-stage lung cancer. Later, one of the two patients went through the formalities and was hospitalized for surgery, while the other chose to go home and try the secret Chinese medicine recipe of XX relative. The patient who underwent surgery is now five years after the surgery. Everything is normal during the follow-up examination. According to our clinical point of view, this patient has been clinically cured.

The patient who went to take Chinese medicine from his relative went to the hospital for low back pain two months later and was found to have bone metastasis. Although he actively cooperated with the treatment afterwards, he lost the best time for treatment and died of the disease after only one year.

Therefore, when cancer is discovered early, if you actively cooperate with treatment and get more effective treatments, your chances of survival will be greatly increased.

Summary: The survival time of lung cancer depends on the malignancy of the cancer, how early it is discovered, and whether it is treated in a timely and standardized manner. When cancer is discovered early, you actively cooperate with treatment and get more effective treatments, then your chances of survival will be greatly increased.