Lifespan for a lung cancer patients?

16% 5yr survival: The life expectancy of people with lung cancer is dependent on several factors which includes the type of lung cancer, stage of disease, race and gender. Long-term survival is low. The National Cancer Institute says the most recent lung cancer statistics show the overall five-year survival for lung cancer is 16 percent.

Varies: Lung cancer may be cured by surgery, life span normal. Some lung cancers grow slowly, patients live many years. Others grow very rapidly, patients live only a few months. To find out, talk with patient's MD. Chest X-rays over time will show changes that help measure rate of growth. If cancer spreads to other places, life span depends on damage to other tissues as well as lung.

Depends on stage: In general, the most common forms of lung cancer when caught early are highly curable with surgery or stereotactic body radiation therapy. Unfortuantely, most lung cancers are found at later stages when cure rates are very low. Patients who are at high risk for lung cancer (i.e. tobacco smokers) should get screening chest CT scans to help find the cancer at early stages.