Ashley Davidoff MD
Introduction
The two disease types – small cell and non small cell have very different natural histories. Small cell is aggressive, fast moving and has virtually no chance for cure as most patients have metastatic disease at presentation and surgery is not usually an option for these patients. Untreated, the survival time for patients with small cell cancer is 6 to 17 weeks. The percentage of patients who survive with lung cancer for one year is around 42%.
Non small cell carcinoma has a slower course and depending on staging at initial presentation chance for cure is greater. However the overall outlook is dismal with a 5 year of 14%.
CT scan at the level of the azygous vein shows a 6mm mixed nodule with a 1mm solid component. 6 months later there has been slight growth dominantly in the ground glass component (b) 1 year later there is a 12 mm solid nodule consistent with a primary carcinoma (c)
Ashley Davidoff
TheCommonVein.net
29714cL
Extent Of Disease At Presentation
15% of patients have local disease at diagnosis;
25% have disease spread to regional lymph nodes,
and >55% have distant metastases.
Extent Of Disease At Autopsy
At autopsy extra thoracic metastatic disease is found most commonly in patients with small cell cancer(>95%), then adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma,(80%) and then
squamous cell (>50%).
Time o Diagnosis To Death
86% of patients with lung cancer die within 5 years of diagnosis.
Only about 14% of people who develop lung cancer survive for 5 years.
Ashley Davidoff MD
TheCommonVein.net
32199cw
keywords
lungs pulmonary parenchymal mass neoplasm primary lymphatics distended metastases lymphangitis gross pathology