›› Small Cell Cancer
Small cell cancer is
one of the scarier forms of lung cancer. There
isn’t any kind of lung cancer that isn’t scary, as
they are all more often terminal than not, however small cell cancer
tends to be the most aggressive. Most people with small cell
cancer will die in 2 to 4 months after being diagnosed.
The reason for the short post-diagnosis lifespan is that by the time
small cell cancer starts to show serious symptoms, it is often already
spread around the body. When the cancer has spread to areas
all over the body, surgical removal is not really an option, as it
can’t be expected to significantly increase life expectancy
enough to justify the risks and adverse health effects.
So it is for good reason that small cell cancer is feared.
However it isn’t always an immediate death
sentence. About 30 percent of the cases are caught before the
cancer has spread out of the immediate chest area, and this is referred
to as ‘limited stage’ small cell cancer.
People with limited stage small cell cancer can expect to live at least
another year, possibly two or more. Also, surgery may be an
option for some people with limited stage cancer, improving their
prognosis considerably.
Small cell cancers are especially prone to cancer treatments like
chemotherapy and radiation therapy. If it is found in the
limited stage, small cell cancer can be held at bay for a long time
using these therapies. Unfortunately, the likelihood of
remission and recovery is not very good with small cell cancer, even in
the earlier stages. Because of the overall low rate of
recovery, newer and better small cell cancer treatments is a popular
are of cancer research. If you have been diagnosed with small
cell cancer, you may be eligible to participate in some clinical trials
for new treatments.
The best treatment for small cell cancer is of course
prevention. Fortunately, it is a very preventable disease,
and has a low likelihood of occurring in non-smokers. Smoking
vastly increases your likelihood of developing small cell cancer, and
most cases of small cell cancer are related to tobacco use.
Combined with the increased likelihood of other types of cancer, lung
diseases, and heart disease, smoking is estimated to kill around
300,000 people in the United States each year. Whether you
have a history of cancer in your family or not, it’s always a
good idea to quit smoking.
››
A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
