Prognosis of Early Lung Cancer in the Right Middle Lobe

The prognosis for a patient with early lung cancer largely depends on the type of lung cancer she’s been diagnosed with and the quality of treatment she receives. Lung cancer cell types fall into two categories: small cell and non-small cell.

Small Cell

• Small cell lung cancer spreads very quickly and the prognosis, even if the cancer is treated in its early stages, isn’t good. According to the Merck Manual, the average survival time is only 20 months.

Non-Small Cell

• The prognosis for early, non-small cell lung cancer is much better. The Merck Manual reports that 60 to 70 percent of patients with this type of lung cancer are alive five years after diagnosis.

Small Cell Treatment

• Chemotherapy or radiation will shrink small cell cancers, but these cancers will probably return. Surgery is not effective in the fight against small cell cancers.

Non-Small Cell Treatment

• Early non-small cell lung cancers respond to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Surgery will effectively remove all of the cancer in 55 to 75 percent of patients whose cancer is localized.

Considerations

• A combination of surgery and chemotherapy has been shown to improve survival. According to the Merck Manual, the chemotherapy must be platinum based.