Lung Cancer Remission
Lung cancer is in remission when a patient has fewer or no symptoms and tumors have shrunk or vanished on scans. Lung cancer patients can often live longer when in remission, and for some, the cancer may never come back. Treatments can help you work toward lung cancer remission.
Can Lung Cancer Go Into Remission?
Yes, lung cancer can go into remission (where signs and symptoms of the disease disappear or lessen).
Lung cancer in remission doesn’t mean you’re cured, but you or a loved one could have a much better prognosis (overall health outlook) as a result.
The best way to achieve remission is to get treatments that can destroy as much of the cancer as possible.
Lung Cancer Remission Quick Facts
- Roughly 57% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients were still in remission 2 years after treatments in a 2021 Annals of Translational Medicine report.
- A 2021 Current Oncology study noted that 27.1% of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients remained in remission following treatment.
- Lung cancer remission rates depend on the type of lung cancer, stage, available treatments, and other factors.
- Some patients have lived for 15 years or more in remission, becoming long-term lung cancer survivors.
Get a Free Lung Cancer Guide to learn about treatments that can help you achieve remission and how to pay for them.
- Understand risk factors
- Find top treatments
- Pursue compensation
Types of Lung Cancer Remission
There are several types of lung cancer remission, and each can greatly impact how long you’ll live.
Types of lung cancer remission include:
- Complete remission: You have no evidence of disease (NED) on imaging tests or scans.
- Partial remission: Lung cancer may still be present, but tumors have shrunk.
- Spontaneous remission: The cancer disappears or shrinks with no treatment. This is incredibly rare. You’ll need treatment in almost all cases to achieve remission.
- Stable disease: The cancer doesn’t shrink but also stops growing. It can be unsettling to know you still have cancer, but long-term survivorship may still be possible.
Your doctor will tell you if your lung cancer has gone into remission and recommend ways for you to live as long as possible.
Lung Cancer Recurrence After Remission
Lung cancer recurrence or relapse happens when the cancer comes back after a period of remission. Most lung cancer tumors recur within five years of treatment.
SCLC is much more likely to recur than NSCLC. Over 90% of SCLC cases return within two years, compared to roughly 60% of NSCLC cancer cases.
Your medical team will monitor you to catch any signs of cancer recurrence and recommend follow-up treatments to hopefully send the cancer back into remission.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Remission
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and responds well to treatments.
Statistics about NSCLC remission include:
- Up to 80% of NSCLC patients achieved at least partial remission when treated with immunotherapy and surgery in a 2020 Translational Lung Cancer Research report.
- A 2019 study from Respiratory Research found that 7.3% of stage 3 NSCLC patients and 1.8% of stage 4 patients achieved complete remission.
- Only 9-11% of NSCLC patients who were cancer-free after 5 years experienced recurrence in the following 5 years, as noted by a 2023 Oncology and Therapy report.
Call (877) 446-5767 to find help affording treatments that can improve your odds of lung cancer remission.
Small Cell Lung Cancer Remission
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is rarer and harder to treat than NSCLC. However, remission could still be possible.
In a 2016 BMC Cancer Study, SCLC remission rates were encouraging among patients treated with chemotherapy and radiation.
The study found that:
- 35% of SCLC patients achieved full remission.
- 42% entered partial remission following a combination of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
- Nearly all the other patients achieved stable disease.
Your cancer care team can recommend treatments to help achieve remission, depending on the unique factors in your case.
Treatments to Achieve Lung Cancer Remission
Different lung cancer treatments allow doctors to remove and destroy tumor cells, giving you the best chance of achieving remission. Learn about top treatment options to become cancer-free below.
Lung Cancer Surgery
With surgery, oncologists (cancer doctors) remove lung cancer tumors and diseased tissue. It is very effective for NSCLC, giving many early-stage patients a better chance of remission.
Surgery is rarely used for SCLC, but doctors may recommend it if the cancer is in a very early stage.
Get a Free Lung Cancer Guide to learn more about treatments like surgery that could send your lung cancer into remission and how to afford them.
- Understand risk factors
- Find top treatments
- Pursue compensation
Lung Cancer Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells, which could allow patients to reach lung cancer remission.
Common chemotherapy drugs used for lung cancer treatment include:
- Carboplatin
- Cisplatin
- Pemetrexed
Doctors often use multiple chemotherapy drugs to destroy as much of the cancer as possible, especially in early-stage cases.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses concentrated beams of energy to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. It’s typically used with other treatments like chemotherapy.
For example, it may be provided proactively to prevent metastasis (spread to other parts of the body) in SCLC patients who enter remission after chemotherapy, according to a 2023 Radiation Oncology report.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is medication that helps your immune system find and destroy cancer cells.
In a 2021 Respiratory Medicine Case Reports study, two patients with a type of NSCLC called adenocarcinoma achieved complete lung cancer remission with immunotherapy.
Multimodal Therapy
Cancer centers often use multimodal therapy (several treatments together) to help lung cancer patients achieve remission.
In a 2020 Cureus study, a 71-year-old woman received radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery after a lung cancer diagnosis.
Though tumors had spread to her brain, she achieved complete remission for 9 years — greatly outliving the typical life expectancy for advanced cancer.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials study new treatments for lung cancer. Some patients achieve lung cancer remission or live longer by getting treatments from trials.
Nancy Hale lived for 12 years in part thanks to an immunotherapy trial offered by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that sent her stage 4 lung cancer into remission. She only had a 30% chance of surviving three years after her diagnosis.
Get help affording treatments that could potentially send your lung cancer into remission. Contact us now to learn more.
Factors That Influence Lung Cancer Remission
Outside of getting treatments, factors unique to each person’s case will affect their chances of achieving lung cancer remission.
Factors that may affect lung cancer remission include:
- Age: Younger patients are more likely to enter remission as they can typically receive and recover from more aggressive treatments.
- Lifestyle: Eating a healthy diet, performing low-stress exercises like walking, sleeping well, and staying hydrated can help your body fight lung cancer.
- Overall health: Cancer is less likely to go into remission if you have poor health.
- Quitting smoking: Not only is smoking a big risk factor for lung cancer, but it also makes it harder for your body to fight tumors.
In a 2023 Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy report, researchers noted that measuring this ratio using blood samples could help predict if lung cancer could recur after remission.
Doctors can determine how likely lung cancer remission is in your case by assessing these factors and how your body responds to treatments.
Get a Free Lung Cancer Guide to learn more about working toward remission and steps to take to live longer.
- Understand risk factors
- Find top treatments
- Pursue compensation
We Can Help You Work Toward Lung Cancer Remission
While a lung cancer diagnosis can bring uncertainty, remission may be possible even in later stages.
At Lung Cancer Group, we’re ready to help patients and families navigate life after a diagnosis and find resources that could allow them to reach remission.
Work with Lung Cancer Group to:
- Afford treatments that can send lung cancer into remission
- Get a better understanding of lung cancer remission rates
- Learn which treatments could help in your case
Don’t wait: Call (877) 446-5767 to get started right now. Our team stands ready to assist you and your family.
Lung Cancer Remission FAQs
Can stage 4 lung cancer go into remission?
Yes, it is possible for stage 4 lung cancer to go into remission. In a 2019 study, 1.8% of stage 4 NSCLC patients achieved remission.
The best way to achieve remission after a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis is to get treated. For example, stage 4 lung cancer patient Nancy Hale went into remission for six years after getting immunotherapy in a clinical trial.
Call (877) 446-5767 for help paying for treatments that could allow you to live as long as possible.
Can small cell lung cancer go into remission?
Yes, it’s possible for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) to go into remission. You’ll have a better chance of achieving SCLC remission if your cancer is diagnosed and treated before it spreads.
What is the lung cancer remission rate?
Lung cancer remission rate is the number of patients whose tumors shrink or vanish following treatments. Rates vary by study but can help give you an idea of what to expect.
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients had a remission rate of 57% in the 2 years after treatments in a 2021 Annals of Translational Medicine report.
In a 2016 study, 35% of SCLC patients achieved full remission, and 42% reached partial remission, thanks to chemotherapy and radiation.
Does lung cancer come back after remission?
Lung cancer often comes back after remission. This is known as recurrence. Roughly 90% of SCLC patients and 60% of NSCLC patients experienced a recurrence within two years.
Lung cancer is most likely to recur within 5 years after treatment. Since SCLC is more aggressive, this cancer usually recurs within 1 year after a patient receives their initial treatments.
Contact us now to explore options to pay for treatment if you have recurrent lung cancer. If eligible, you may qualify for compensation.
How long can lung cancer stay in remission?
Lung cancer can stay in remission for very long periods of time, depending on how the cancer responds to treatments. Many patients have lived for 15 years or more cancer-free.
Is it possible to fully recover from lung cancer?
Yes, it may be possible to fully recover from lung cancer with the right treatment plan.
Treatments can send lung cancer into long-term or permanent remission in some cases, allowing patients to have full lives.
Even if full recovery isn’t possible, treatment may help shrink tumors, ease symptoms of lung cancer, and improve your quality of life.
