Results of Surgery

Small cell lung cancer is rarely found at an early stage, at which surgical treatment can be safely carried out. In the unusual SCLC that are discovered early enough for surgical removal, surgery plus chemotherapy can result in cure of 35% of patients. Further comments all relate to NSCLC.

Surgical resection represents the best treatment option for non-small cell lung cancer at this time.

In stage I, 60-80 of patients can be cured with surgical resection alone.

Results are poorer in each subsequent stage, decreasing to approximately 20% 5 year survival in selected cases of stage IIIA. Stage IIIB and IV are rarely treated surgically because they are better treated by radiation therapy and chemotherapy.