life expectancy without chemo

[ladybug1965]

My mom was just diagnosed with stage 3A lung cancer. What is the life expectancy without chemo and radiation? and is the treatment worth the side effects?  

[Debawil]

My father, who is 82 went to the hospital because he had a stroke, which he recovered well from. After numerous tests he was diagnosed with 3A lung cancer, 4.6 cm on the base of the right lung and has spread to the lymph modes. He never smoked and am still in disbelief .  He does not want treatment. He is now in my home under hospice care for the last 45 days.No symptoms... I am so confused and don't know how long or what to expect. He seems to be OK no symptoms. If anyone has experience or knowledge please feel free to write. Thank you...

[Bexx77]

I don't know if your explanation help the person with the original question but it helped me. My 81 yr old Grandmother has stage 3A - non small cell carcinoma - squamous which has spread tp lymph nodes. She doesn't think she wants treatment as it would probably make her more sick than she already is. We are meeting with the radiologist/chemotherapist at the same time in the next week. Thanks for your detailed answer, I found it most helpful.

[GeezLouize75]

Stage 3 Lung Cancer Life Expectancy Variables
Stage 3 lung cancer life expectancy can vary considerably among different people. Some of these variables include:
Your particular lung cancer type – Stage 3 lung cancer encompasses several lung cancer types
The location of your cancer - Stage 3 lung cancer is broken down into stage 3A lung cancer and stage 3B lung cancer, depending upon which tissues near the lungs that the cancer has spread to
Your age – Younger people tend to live longer than older people with lung cancer
Your sex – The life expectancy for woman with lung cancer is higher at each stage of lung cancer
Your general health at the time of diagnosis – Being healthy overall at the time of diagnosis is associated with a longer life expectancy, and a greater ability to withstand treatments that may extend survival
How you respond to treatment – Side effects of treatments such as chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and radiation therapy vary among different people, and may limit your ability to tolerate treatment
Other health conditions you may have – Health conditions such as emphysema may lower stage 3 lung cancer life expectancy
Complications of lung cancer – Complications such as blood clots can lower lung cancer life expectancy
Stage 3 Lung Cancer Life Expectancy Statistics
In addition to variations between different people, it is important to keep in mind that statistics are frequently a few years old. For example, the most recent statistics we have for lung cancer are from 2005. With advances in treatment, statistics may not be the same as they were when newer treatments were unavailable.
That said, the median life expectancy for stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer (the time at which 50% of patients are alive and 50% have passed away) is around 15 months for stage 3A and 13 months for stage 3B. The 5-year survival rate -- that is the percent of people who are expected to be alive 5 years after a diagnosis of stage 3 lung cancer -- is sadly only 23% for stage 3A and around 10% for stage 3B.

One last thing that it is very important to keep in mind. While stage 3 lung cancer may or may not be curable, it is treatable. These treatments may not only improve survival, but help with the symptoms of lung cancer as well. Several treatments are currently being evaluated in clinical trials, and offer hope that stage 3 lung cancer life expectancy will improve in the future. The National Cancer Institute states that all individuals with stage 3 lung cancer should be considered candidates for clinical trials.

Hope this helps.