Epidemiology of Lung Cancer Prognosis: Quantity and Quality of Life

Abstract

Primary lung cancer is very heterogeneous in its clinical presentation, histopathology, and treatment response; and like other diseases, the prognosis consists of two essential facets: survival and quality of life (QOL). Lung cancer survival is mostly determined by disease stage and treatment modality, and the five-year survival rate has been in a plateau of 15% for three decades. QOL is focused on life aspects that are affected by health conditions and medical interventions; the balance of physical functioning and suffering from treatment side effects has long been a concern of care providers as well as patients. Obviously needed are easily-measurable biologic markers to stratify patients prior to treatment for optimal results in survival and QOL and to monitor treatment responses and toxicities. Targeted therapies towards the mechanisms of tumor development, growth, and metastasis are promising and actively translated into clinical practice. Long-term lung cancer (LTLC) survivors are people who are alive five years after the diagnosis. Knowledge about the health and QOL in LTLC survivors is limited because outcome research in lung cancer has been focused mainly on short-term survival. The independent or combined effects of lung cancer treatment, aging, smoking and drinking, comorbid conditions, and psychosocial factors likely cause late effects including organ malfunction, chronic fatigue, pain, or premature death among lung cancer survivors. New knowledge to be gained should help lung cancer survivors, their healthcare providers, and their caregivers by providing evidence for establishing clinical recommendations to enhance their long-term survival and health-related QOL.

Inhibition of lung tumor growth by complex pulmonary delivery of drugs with oligonucleotides as suppressors of cellular resistance

“…In contrast, mortality from heart disease, the leading cause of death, declined almost 2.5-fold over the same period (2). The patient survival has been in a plateau for three decades (3), with a 5-year relative survival rate of less than 18% in most countries (4). The efficacy of chemotherapy in lung cancer is limited by the rapid development of cancer cell resistance during treatment.…”

Genetically engineered humanized anti‐ganglioside GM2 antibody against multiple organ metastasis produced by GM2‐expressing small‐cell lung cancer cells

“…(4,5) Metastasis to these organs frequently causes severe symptoms, such as pain, paresis, and dyspnea, and decreases patients' quality of life. (6) Approximately 15% of lung tumors are classified as small-cell lung cancer (SCLC); these tumors grow and metastasize to multiple organs much faster than non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).(7) Although initially sensitive to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, SCLC tumors eventually relapse and become refractory to conventional chemotherapy agents.(8) In addition, although several molecularly targeted drugs, such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib and the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab, are successful in the treatment of NSCLC, no effective molecularly targeted drugs are currently available for SCLC. Therefore, novel therapeutic methods are essential for improving the poor prognosis of patients with this disease.…”

“…(4,5) Metastasis to these organs frequently causes severe symptoms, such as pain, paresis, and dyspnea, and decreases patients' quality of life. (6) Approximately 15% of lung tumors are classified as small-cell lung cancer (SCLC); these tumors grow and metastasize to multiple organs much faster than non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). (7) Although initially sensitive to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, SCLC tumors eventually relapse and become refractory to conventional chemotherapy agents.…”

Iridin Attenuates the Migration and Attachment Independent Growth of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells

“…Lung adenocarcinoma is most common form and constitutes about 50% of NSCLC [2]. Despite the significant advances in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis of these patients remains dismal, with 5 years survival rates less than 10% [3]. There occurs frequent relapse with metastasis even in the patients who have undergone complete surgical resection.…”