Lung cancer stage 3b survival rate?

my aunt was just diagnosed with lung cancer stage 3b. how much longer will she have? i realize that no one on here is God. but i just want to know the average all though im hoping she can beat the odds.

I had an aunt who was diagnosed with the exact same thing.

We did some research on the internet when she was first diagnosed (because she was very scarce on the details her doctor told her) and most of it was put in about 4-5 year terms.

And for a patient at the 3b stage, the chances of living for 5 years was, if I remember correctly, between 10-20%.

She managed to fight through it for just over nineteen months.
But couldn't last any longer than that.

It always depends on the patient.
Some might only live three weeks, and some might make it five+ years.

I hope this helps, it's just sad to have to answer a question on circumstances like this.
I wish your aunt, you and your family the very best. :]

Forecasting the Course of Disease: Lung Cancer Prognosis
Overall, fewer than 10% of people with primary lung cancer are alive 5 years after diagnosis. But 5-year survival rates may be as high as 35 to 40% among patients who undergo surgical resection for cancer that has not spread beyond the lung. General estimates of stage-specific median survival times鈥攖he point at which 50% of patients are still living鈥攁re as follows:


Stage 1a - more than 60 months (> 5 years)
Stage 1b - about 36 months (3 years)
Stage 2a - about 24 months (2 years)
Stage 2b - about 20 months (< 2 years)
Stage 3a - about 15 months (< 1.5 years)
Stage 3b - about 12 months (1 year)
Stage 4 - about 8 months (< 1 year)


Recent findings indicate that 5-year survival rates approach 85% among patients who are younger than 30 years of age and have surgically removable lung cancers (Mizushima et al., Cancer 85:1730-33, April 1999). Researchers believe that genetic mutations may be responsible for differences in survival rates between older and younger people with lung cancer.

For myself, I was dx'd with stage 3 non small cell in May '06, in June 06,I was restaged to a stage 4. I had 6 rounds of chemo which ended in Dec. 06.. I've been stable up til now, I was only given a few months with the chemo but have managed to outlive that prognosis. Tomorrow I see my onc about the possiblity of more chemo as the primary is starting to grow a little tiny bit. All the tumors, including the primary are still confined to my one lung.

Depending on how well she fairs with the chemo, I wouldn't hold too much into the stats out there.. they are always about 5 yrs behind.

All the best to your family

depends on what type of lung CA dear..the agressive types(small cell)-3-6mos.