prognosis

Last reviewed 01/2018

  • prognosis for people with small-cell lung cancer is poor
    • without treatment, it has an aggressive clinical course with a life expectancy of approximately 3.5 months for limited-stage disease and 6 weeks for extensive-stage disease

    • with treatment
      • median survival with treatment is approximately 14-18 months for limited-stage disease and 9-12 months for extensive-stage disease
        • approximately 20-40% of patients with limited-stage disease and less than 5% of patients with extensive-stage disease survive for 2 years. Survivors often continue to relapse up to, and occasionally after, 5 years

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