How bad is stage 4 lung cancer?

16 comments

1. ♥Shannan♥ on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   Usually stage 4 is bad, but people have lived longer than anticipated. If you really want to know how long she had, talk to her doctor. He will be able to tell you more than anyone here can. Of course you he has to follow doctor/patient privileges but your mom can consent. But her doctor had the best answers you are looking for. Good luck to you and your family. Sam

2. kndykisz on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   unfortunately…..there is not really any chance of her living a long life…….Sorry

3. rvs1988 on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   Stage four is in the final stage, it is bad! Sorry to hear it.

4. dapixelator on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   sorry to say– I’ll echo previous answer. Its pretty bad especially if it has spread.

   Lung cancer tends to be pretty bad from a survival standpoint since it is usually caught late.

   good luck.

5. Yak Rider on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   If she’s in stage 4 she only has a few months to live. You have my sympathy.

6. Cheryl E on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   sorry. a miracle. lung cancer is the worst cancer and with the least survivers. i am so sorry for your situation. spend some time loving each other.

7. phillyboy on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   Stage 4 is a pretty high level of cancer, matter of fact, the highest. Your mother needs to have aggresive treatment of the cancer. How much time you mother has is based on how far the cancer as spread and how much treatment has been done. God Bless

8. gazeygoo on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   Stage 4 is the final stage, that means it has gone beyond treatment and time is short. In this case it has also metastasized which mean spread so now there are two cancer locations to consider. It is time to get things in order, say your goodbyes and make your final arrangements.

9. . on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   My advice to you (my mom just finished chemo for stage IV Ovarian Cancer…the deadliest of all "female" cancers) is to do LEGITIMATE research about it and then not to take the information as anything but numbers.

   I don’t know if it helps any, but from a mathematician’s
   perspective, statistics talk about a trend, but they definitely do not
   encompass the range of possible outcomes. A ‘most likely’ situation
   is made up of events that are similar, but also events that are way worse and events that are way better. Statistics will tell you that the chances of her living a long life are probably not so great BUT you need to keep yourself informed and remember that each person is different.

   You will have a lot more information from her doctors after they know how far it has spread.

   The most important thing is to be strong…many people have beat the same thing your mom is going through no matter what statistics say. Good luck to you, I know how hard it is.

   BTW, I read some previous answers…don’t listen to people who have no clue. I’m sorry that you have to read their BS.

10. Panda on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    There appears to be some confusion among the people answering here about what stage 4 means for a cancer patient. Cancer is staged by an oncologist in order to know what type of treatment to pursue for the patient. It is not a ‘final’ stage. Basically, stage 4 means that the cancer has metastasized (spred beyond the primary site). I know many, many cancer survivors who were stage 4 at diagnosis. It is true that stage 4 or cancer that has metastisized is more difficult to treat because of other factors, such as overall health, location of tumors, grade of tumors, etc.

    My 18 year old son was diagnosed as a stage 4 cancer 19 months ago with multiple abdominal tumors, tumors in spleen, chest wall, large and small intestine, lympth nodes, diaphragm, and spots on lungs. He was treated succesfully with high dose chemotherapy (tumors shrunk or disappeared), two surgeries, chemoperfusion to the abdomen(heated chemo poured into open abdomen) and within a year after treatment was ‘no evidence of disease’. He was in remission for over 8 months.

    Do not let others discourage you or your mother. Take each day as it comes and do not worry about the future. Lung cancer is difficult to treat, but there is always hope. If your mother is in relative good health and is willing to fight her disease, than no one knows how long she may have, including her doctors.

    Stay strong and remain hopeful.

11. Kristin C on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    Quite low, unfortunately. Stage 4 is terminal. They may consider doing chemo or radiation not to cure, but for palliation of symptoms. They may get Hospice involved to keep your mom comfortable during whatever time she may have left.

12. Doc8 on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    This is a terminal illness

13. Chi_Indy on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    My husband had stage IV. He had his left lung removed, it had a tumor the size of a large orange. From the time it was diagnosed in December 2001 to the time he died. October 2002, he suffered terribly. It was the pain from the surgery, from the cancer which spread all over his body and the chemotherapy. Also, he had oxygen on, 24/7. It was a rough time. Try to keep your mom comfortable and pain free. The physicians know the drugs that can do that.

    If there are any questions you want to ask, please email me.

14. jayaraman on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    The definition of stage IV is as under -
    Stage IV Lung Cancer. In Stage 4 lung cancer the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver, bones or brain. There is less than a 2 percent chance of surviving the disease 5 years when it’s treated at this stage.

    i did not want to answer your this question but I have to.
    It is a very critical situation. I feel very sad to know this. Just believe the Doctors and the GOD. Nothing can be told as CANCER IS STILL AN ENIGMA. Best of luck

15. crumcake422 on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    Unfortunately it is not good. My husband was diagnosed March 20th passed June 6th No symptoms It all everywhere by the time he was diagnosed. He went thru radiation chemo gamma knife procedure and used tarceva. Ask the doctor about these options. Spend all the time you can with her. Help her to do the things she wants eat what she wants visit with her friends while she still can.

16. David W on June 24, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    I have always believed that the mainstream medical industry is not interested in finding a cure for cancer because it makes too much profit with its present barbarous methods.
    Eventually, I came across a detailed report which agreed with my findings, and I have included it in my web page at

    http://dgwa1.fortunecity.com/body/cancer.html

    By reading this report, you will also convince yourself that it is best to ignore the mainstream cancer industry, and seek alternative cures. Also you should bear in mind that the medical industry will do anything to protect its profitable position, including disparaging alternative healers or even creating bogus court cases.

    I believe that cancer is a whole body thing, which in 80 percent of cases manifests itself by producing symptoms in the weaker parts of the body, and therefore appearing localised. It is this treatment of symptoms instead of cause which creates the profitable, yet non-successful approach of mainstream medicine.

    Some cures are listed on the web page too.

    It is therefore obvious that a holistic approach is required, based on cleansing, diet, exercise and debugging.

    CLEANSING
    The best way of cleansing is to fast.

    http://www.phifoundation.org/menses.html
    http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1996

    but if a patient is too weak for that, or does not fancy the idea, then alternative cleanses are available.

    Colon Cleanse
    http://www.soundfeelings.com/free/colon_cleansing.htm#recipe
    Bowel cleanse
    http://www.curezone.com/schulze/herbal_colon_cleanse_1_2.asp
    kidney cleanse
    http://www.curezone.com/cleanse/kidney/default.asp
    http://www.ehow.com/how_12678_kidney-cleansing-fast.html
    http://www.falconblanco.com/health/cleansing/kidney.html
    http://www.healingdaily.com/colon-kidney-detoxification.htm
    http://www.healthfree.com/cleansing_programs_kidney.html
    Liver cleanse
    http://www.drclark.net/en/drclark_protocol/illnesses/liver_cleanse.php
    Gallbladder cleanse
    http://www.curezone.com/cleanse/liver/default.asp
    http://www.curezone.com/cleanse/liver/huldas_recipe.asp
    Pancreas cleanse
    http://curezone.com/dis/1.asp?C0=261

    DIET,
    The best diet is vegetarian, avoiding all processed, frozen or micro-waved foods and drinks, and based on fresh fruit, fresh vegetables – preferably organic, nuts and seeds. Drinks should be clean water or freshly squeezed orange juice.

    Many researchers promote the benefits of vitamin B17 as a healer. this can be found in the following foods:
    Apple seeds, alfalfa sprouts, apricot kernels, bamboo shoots, barley, beet tops, bitter almond, blackberries, boysenberries, brewer’s yeast, brown rice, buckwheat, cashews, cherry kernels, cranberries, currants, fava beans, flax seeds, garbanzo beans, gooseberries, huckleberries, lentils, lima beans, linseed meat, loganberries, macadamia nuts, millet, millet seed, peach kernels, pecans, plum kernels, quince, raspberries, sorghum cane syrup, spinach, sprouts (alfalfa, lentil, mung bean, buckwheat, garbanzo), strawberries, walnuts, watercress, yams.

    A commercial preparation of B17 is available called Laetrile.

    EXERCISE
    Exercise should be sufficient to create a sweat, but not sufficient to make you gasp for breath or feel over-tired. About one hours exercise every day is best.

    DEBUGGING
    There are various theories about how bugs create cancer.

    Hulda Clark suggests that parasites are the cause, and that they can be disposed of by using a zapper.

    Zappers are available from

    Super Zapper DeLuxe
    http://www.drclark.net Clark Zapper with amazing features get a free CD ROM

    http://www.paradevices.com/zapper_works.html

    Terminator Crystal Orgone Zapper Blood Purification Parasite Solution
    Electrical stimulation devices for blood purification, parasites, relaxation, and addictions.
    http://www.elixa.com/estim/zap.htm

    High frequency parasite zapper. Includes product description and benefits.
    http://www.ess-in.com/

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