Quality of life tied to lung cancer survival
Those patients survived for substantially less time: 1.6 years, on average, versus 5.6 years in the group with a higher quality of life around the time of diagnosis.
There were other differences between the two groups, too. Patients with a poorer quality of life were more likely to be men, current smokers and have more-advanced cancer, for example.
But even when Sloan’s team factored in those differences, quality of life was still a predictor of survival time. Overall, the death rate during the study period was 55 percent higher among patients who gave low ratings to their quality of life.
So what can be done when cancer patients have quality-of-life issues? That depends on what seems to be underlying the problem, according to Sloan.
- If the cancer is detected early and confined to a small area, the patient as a relatively high survival rate. In Stage 0 of lung cancer progression, there is limited cancer present in the lung and it affects only the top cellular layer of the lung. The five-year survival rate for a Stage 0 patient is as high as 80-percent.
- Expect a slightly lower survival rate if the patient receives a Stage 1 diagnosis. At this stage, the lung cancer is limited to one lung but it extends deeper into the layers of the lung. It may also involve a larger area. The five-year survival rate for Stage 1 is around 50 percent.
If it’s depression or fatigue, medication or other treatment might help. Or if patients are having financial problems, there are government programs and non-profit groups that may be able to assist.
It’s not clear yet whether assessing cancer patients’ quality of life can actually prolong their survival.
Regardless, improving quality of life is an important goal by itself, Sloan said.
- Seek aggressive treatment for Stage 2 lung cancer patients. In Stage 2, the cancer is now present in the lymph nodes. This makes it harder to contain the cancer, but up to 30 percent of victims still survive for five years.
- Notice a lower survival rate for patients suffering from Stage 3 lung cancer. Stage 3 occurs when the cancer spreads from the lungs and the lymph nodes to the inner chest cavity and other internal organs. Both lungs may now show signs of cancer. In Stage 3, the five-year survival rate drops to between five and 15 percent.
- Patients diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer have the lowest survival rate. At this point, the cancer is in many organs and other places in the body. Since the human body may not withstand the amount of treatment necessary to kill the cancer cells, chances of survival are very low. Yet, up to two percent of Stage 4 lung cancer victims survive for five years.
- Ask the doctor if the lung cancer is considered “limited” or “extended,” for further clarification on survival rates. Even within the above stages, lung cancer may be better or worse, and this will affect the patient’s survival outlook.
It turns out, though, that “quality” may depend on more than a patient’s personal circumstances.
In a separate study in the same journal. Sloan’s team found several specific gene patterns that were related to quality of life among 1,299 lung cancer patients.