There are a lot of factors which influence the lung cancer survival rate. It is different for different person. Moreover, the first problem for lung cancer is that it cannot be diagnosed in the initial stages. Hence, it is not until it is very late or the general status of health of the person is being affected that people take notice. Generally the cancer survival rate is verbalized to be about 5 years. This is usually after the cancer is diagnosed.

The lung cancer survival rate for patients affected with non-small cell cancer is somewhat different at varied levels. The non small cell cancer has different phases. In the initial stage, which is phase 0, the survival rate is about 50 percent or about 5 years. In the phase II about a quarter of the people make it to the 5 years level while the others do not. At the same time, the phase III people have very little survival rate. Only about 8 percent are able to survive to the 5 years level. This percentage goes lower in the case of the phase IV, which only 2 percent.

Compared to the non small cell cancer, the small cell cancer is fatal. The lung cancer survival rate for the people who are in limited stage is 5 years for only 10 to 15 percent of the people. In the extensive stage only 1 to about 2 percent of people make it to the 5 years level.

These lung cancer survival rates differ from one patient to other. Sometimes treatment technique that has been followed or the body’s ability to counter with the treatments also influences the survival rate. Recent advancement in the medical world has taken the rates of lung cancer survival to a somewhat better position. Probabilities of the rate of lung cancer survival are also influenced by the patient’s lifestyle.

More or less, the lung cancer survival rate is an approximation of what happens in and around the world. There are discrepancies. There are people who have been miraculously cured. There are also people who have lived for more than 10 years. General count of dying for lung cancer and specifically in US in the 1980s and in the 1990s has maintained this level. In women this has been somewhat different. In the smokers, the condition has been pretty worse and the revival rate has been lower than those of the non smokers.