What is the average life expectancy of children with small cell lung cancer

Small cell lung cancer in children has an acute onset and rapid progression. Many confirmed cases of small cell lung cancer have already metastasized throughout the body. These patients have missed the best time for surgical treatment. So, what is the average life expectancy of children with small cell lung cancer, and is there any hope for treatment? Let us learn more about this issue.

It is not easy to say for patients with small cell lung cancer. Some patients can live for 3-5 years if they are in good health, but some patients cannot live for more than 6 months if they are seriously ill and cannot receive treatment or are in poor health. Therefore, it cannot be generalized. It depends on the specific situation of the patient. In detail, the patient's survival period is related to the following three factors.

1. Tumor staging.

If small cell lung cancer is discovered in time and there is no sign of distant metastasis, there is a greater hope for cure for such patients. For early small cell lung cancer, chemotherapy drugs have significant therapeutic effects. After chemotherapy, the tumors of many small cell lung cancers completely disappear, prolonging the patient's life.

2. Treatment methods.

How long a patient with small cell lung cancer can live is also related to the patient's treatment method. For advanced small cell lung cancer, 70% of patients with advanced small cell lung cancer have significantly alleviated symptoms after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but this only relieves the local symptoms of the primary or metastatic lesions. There is little hope for a complete cure of advanced small cell lung cancer, but if treatment is abandoned, the patient's condition may deteriorate rapidly. Commonly used treatment regimens for small cell lung cancer can improve the patient's survival. The most commonly used chemotherapy regimen for patients with advanced small cell lung cancer is the platinum regimen. In addition, drugs are also widely used in the treatment of advanced small cell lung cancer.

3. Patient’s immunity.

This factor is the key factor affecting the life expectancy of small cell lung cancer. Generally speaking, patients with advanced small cell lung cancer will experience greater side effects from any treatment. In this case, if the patient's immunity is relatively good, the patient may be able to successfully pass high-intensity chemotherapy. However, for children with poor physical conditions and low immunity, chemotherapy may not be able to continue, and the survival period for such patients will also be shortened.

Patients with small cell lung cancer are mainly treated with chemotherapy in the early stages, and the treatment effect is ideal. For patients with middle and late stage small cell lung cancer, comprehensive treatment is the first choice, which is mostly radiotherapy and chemotherapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine treatment. We want to prolong the life of patients with advanced small cell lung cancer, and the patient's mental state directly affects how long the patient can live.