Cancer Treatment Options Forum - February 6th, 2011 - 2 Comments
Is it possible to survive Stage 4 lung cancer or is the chemo just to prolong life?
i just found out that is what my grandma has, she is about 70 i think.
she had breast cancer a few years ago, but it was caught at stage 0.
Is her lung cancer small cell or non-small cell ?
Small cell lung carcinomas respond much better to chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is of very limited benefit for the more common type,
non-small cell lung cancers.
Chemotherapy is not expected to cure stage IV lung cancers of any type.
When it helps it buys additional months – prolongs life as you say.
You have to weigh the gain in months against the side effects
of the various chemotherapy drugs used.
Chemo is to prolong life and decrease symptoms.
Stage 4 lung cancer is not curable and her doctor would have told her that.