Can someone survive stage 3 lung cancer diagnosed at age 52?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am writing about my elder brother, who is 52 and was recently diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. The doctors have suggested a combination of chemotherapy and radiation as treatment.

He keeps asking us can I survive stage three lung cancer diagnosed at age 52, but we honestly do not know what to say. His overall health before this diagnosis was fairly good, and he stopped smoking immediately after hearing the news.

We understand survival depends on many factors, like response to treatment and stage details. Are there cases where stage three lung cancer patients respond well and live many years after therapy?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com

I have read your query and understand your concern.

I hope you are well, and I wish your brother a speedy recovery from stage three lung cancer. The ideal treatment is radiotherapy plus chemotherapy. Radiotherapy has now become very precise with techniques like IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy) and CyberKnife, which allow us to target tumor cells accurately.

It is not like before, with many side effects. Chemotherapy in this case is given as a single agent platinum, so its side effects are minimal. Since he is 52 years old, I expect his general condition to be good, and he will tolerate treatment well without many side effects.

All chemotherapy side effects usually disappear once the sessions are completed. Side effects are reversible, such as hair loss, fatigue, anemia, and recurrent infections. So we expect that after finishing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, his general condition will improve, and he will return to normal and continue only with follow-up.

It is very good that he stopped smoking because this is very important, and he should also avoid sitting near smokers. We should also focus on emotional support and proper nutrition, including well-washed fruits and vegetables, and drinking plenty of water.

I hope you are satisfied with my answer. For further queries, you can consult me at iCliniq.

Thank you.