How long can small cell lung cancer last without treatment

How long can small cell lung cancer last without treatment?

Small cell lung cancer is a malignant tumor with a high degree of malignancy, strong metastatic ability, and rapid proliferation of cancer cells. If left untreated for 5 years, the survival rate will not exceed 20%. The younger the disease is, the faster it progresses, and the untreated survival time is about 1 to 2 years, or even shorter. For the elderly, due to the slow basal metabolism, the tumor grows relatively slowly, and the survival time can reach 2 to 3 years.

The survival time of small cell lung cancer is related to the pathological stage. The earlier the stage, the longer the survival time. For example, the survival time of stage 1 small cell lung cancer may be longer, while stage 4 is in the advanced stage and the survival time is shorter, about a few months.

After small cell lung cancer occurs, as long as standardized treatment is carried out, the life span can be prolonged. At present, there are many ways to treat small cell lung cancer. If it is in the early stage, without spread and metastasis, the tumor can be removed by surgery. If there is metastasis to multiple organs, or in the middle and late stages, conservative treatment is recommended to prolong the survival time as much as possible. Common treatment measures include biological immunotherapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy.