My husband has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. it has not spread out side of the lung. it is non small cell and the lymph in the lung is affected. The largest tumor has wrapped itself around his esophagus and aorta. so no surgery or radiation can be done at this time. He has had two chemos and he is not very sick at all. How often do people survive Cancer treated with chemo. Have you ever known any one to be cured and live past five years or more?
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. Complete cure is out of question as lung tumor can be slowed down but never be cured. So we can only give treatment to slow his progression of tumor and give him symptomatic relief with increase in five year survival rate. We can not free him completely from cancer. And in non-small cell tumor life expectancy is less than 10 years. And five year survival rate is 70%. Bur if tumor is encasing aorta and esophagus than chances of five year survival is only 20-30%. Life expectancy in such patients are less than 1 year even with chemotherapy.  So in his case life expectancy is less than 10 years and five year survival rate is only 20%.