Can Stage 4 Lung Cancer Be Cured with Immunotherapy?

The survival rate for stage 4 lung cancer is very low. A cancer survival rate gives the probability that a person would still be alive in five years after diagnosis.

Five-year survival rates for stage 4 lung cancer are as follows:

• metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: 6%
• metastatic small cell lung cancer: 3%

The average person's survival time after a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis ranges from 6.3 months to 11.4 months. 

Lung cancer may not have symptoms early on. When the first signs and symptoms do occur, they may include:

• Persistent or worsening cough
• Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum
• Chest pain that may be worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
• Hoarseness
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss
• Shortness of breath
• Breathing problems
• Fatigue/tiredness
• Weakness
• Wheezing
• Respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that don’t go away or recur
   

Symptoms of metastatic lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body may include:

• Bone pain, such as in the back or hips
• Nervous system effects from lung cancer that has metastasized to the brain 
  • Headache
  • Weakness or numbness of extremities
  • Dizziness
  • Problems with balance 
  • Seizures
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) from cancer spread to the liver
• Swollen lymph nodes such as those in the neck or above the collarbone

The main cause of all types of lung cancer is smoking, which is responsible for 80% of all lung cancer deaths, as well as a number of deaths from exposure to secondhand smoke. Smokers exposed to radon and asbestos are at higher risk. 

In non-smokers, causes of lung cancer include:

• Secondhand smoke
• Exposure to radon
• Air pollution
• Workplace exposure to asbestos, diesel exhaust, or other chemicals 
• Genetic changes

Symptoms of lung cancer often do not appear until the cancer is advanced and has metastasized. For this reason, The American Cancer Society has lung cancer screening guidelines for people with a higher risk of getting lung cancer, such as smokers. 

The American Cancer Society recommends people who are 55 to 74 years old, are in fairly good health, are current smokers or who have quit in the past 15 years, and have smoked a certain number of cigarettes per day should receive regular lung cancer screenings. A test called a low-dose CAT scan or CT scan (LDCT) is typically used. 

If lung cancer is suspected, imaging tests may be used to diagnose it, such as:

• Chest X-ray
• Computed tomography (CT) scan
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
• Bone scan

Lab tests used to diagnose lung cancer include:

• Sputum cytology 
• Thoracentesis 
• Tissue biopsy 
• Bronchoscopy masses
• Endobronchial ultrasound 
• Endoscopic esophageal ultrasound
• Mediastinoscopy and mediastinotomy
• Thoracoscopy
• Lung function tests
• Molecular tests for gene changes 
• Tests for certain proteins on tumor cells
• Blood tests
  • Complete blood count (CBC) 
  • Blood chemistry