Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), also called non-small cell lung cancer, is the most common type of lung cancer. “Non-small cell” refers to the way cancer cells look under a microscope.
If the cells look small, the cancer is referred to as small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).
According to the American Cancer Society, about
The majority of people with early-stage NSCLC survive at least 5 years, but the survival rate is much lower if the cancer has spread to other tissues at the time of diagnosis.
In this article, we review the survival rates and outlook for NSCLC.
A 5-year survival rate is the percentage of people with a certain cancer who are still alive 5 years after their diagnosis. For example, if 90% of people with a certain type of cancer are alive 5 years later, the 5-year survival rate would be 90%.
The 5-year survival rate is commonly used to measure a cancer’s deadliness. Cancer is most likely to return within
Another common statistic used to measure cancer outlook is the 5-year relative survival rate. A 5-year relative survival rate compares the survival rate of people with certain cancers with the survival rate of the general population in the same period. It aims to show how much cancer lowers lifespan.
For example, a 95% 5-year relative survival rate means that people with a disease are 95% as likely to be alive after 5 years than people without the disease.
The average survival rate for NSCLC is higher than the average survival rate for SCLC. According to the
Numerous factors influence your chances of survival, such as:
- the stage of cancer at diagnosis
- your age
- the subtype of NSCLC
- your overall health
Survival rates can give you a rough idea of what to expect. However, your medical care team can give you a better idea of your outlook.
Here’s a look at how the
| Stage | Extent of cancer | 5-year relative survival rate |
|---|---|---|
| localized | limited to your lungs | 65% |
| regional | spread to nearby tissues | 37% |
| distant | spread to distant tissues | 9% |
Lung cancer survival rates are continuing to rise, and it’s possible that the actual survival rates are higher than the statistical rates based on past data.
Here are some commonly asked questions people have about NSCLC:
Can NSCLC spread?
NSCLC can spread to other parts of your body if left untreated or if treatment fails, including the lymph nodes, adrenal glands, liver, bones, or brain.
NSCLC that has spread to nearby lymph nodes is called stage 2B lung cancer. NSCLC that has spread to nearby areas is known as stage 3 cancer, and NSCLC that has spread to more than one area outside your lungs is known as stage 4 cancer.
Is NSCLC treatable?
NSCLC is treatable, especially if treatment starts before the cancer spreads to other body parts.
If the cancer is limited to a small part of your lungs, it may be treatable with surgery alone. A more advanced cancer may require additional treatments. According to the
Radiosensitizers and new combinations of treatment are currently being investigated in clinical trials.
Is NSCLC slow-growing?
NSCLC tends to grow slower than SCLC and has a better outlook.
Doubling time is a prognostic marker that assesses how quickly cancer cells take to double in size.
However, the speed at which it progresses varies between people, can be influenced by many factors, and has many potential prognostic markers. As a result, it can be challenging to accurately predict the progression of NSCLC.
NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer. The outlook of NSCLC is best when it’s caught before it spreads beyond your lungs. Nearly two-thirds of people with early-stage lung cancer survive at least 5 years.
Advanced NSCLC has a lower survival rate. If the cancer has spread to nearby tissues, the chance of surviving at least 5 years drops to about 1 in 3, and if it has spread to distant tissue, the chance drops to less than 1 in 10.
NSCLC treatment is continuing to improve, and NSCLC survival rates will likely continue to rise over time. Your healthcare team can help you develop a treatment plan and alert you of any clinical trials that you may be eligible for.