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What about the alarming growth rate of small cell lung cancer? How can it spread in just a few months?
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive cancer that most commonly develops in the lungs, although it can also occur in other sites such as the cervix, prostate, and digestive tract. Compared with non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer is more aggressive, proliferates faster, and metastasizes earlier. According to statistics, the ten-year relative survival rate of limited and extensive small cell lung cancer is only 3.5%. There are disturbing implications behind this data, especially regarding the strong link between smoking and small cell lung cancer.
Types and stages of small cell lung cancer
Small cell lung cancer is mainly divided into two clinical pathological stages: limited stage (LS) and extensive stage (ES). The stage depends on whether the cancer is confined to the chest and whether it has spread to surrounding lymph nodes. Generally speaking, if the tumor is limited to one lung and proximal lymph nodes, it is in the limited stage; conversely, if it has spread, it is in the extensive stage.
Small cell lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and one of the most deadly cancers in both men and women.
Metastatic characteristics of small cell lung cancer
Small cell lung cancer often metastasizes more quickly and extensively than non-small cell lung cancer. Among them, the hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes may be involved in the early stage. However, the specific mechanisms of these transfers remain poorly understood. According to relevant research, TP53 gene mutations occur in 70% to 90% of small cell lung cancer cases, which shows the prevalence of its mutations and its potential association with disease progression.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Common symptoms of small cell lung cancer include persistent cough, shortness of breath, and weight loss. More than 70% of patients have metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, with common metastatic sites including the liver, adrenal glands, bones, and brain. When diagnosing small cell lung cancer, doctors usually perform a chest X-ray and may order further tests such as CT scans and bronchoscopy.
Advances in treatment methods
The main treatment for small cell lung cancer is chemotherapy. Limited-stage small cell lung cancer is usually treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, while extensive-stage disease is treated with platinum-based combination chemotherapy as the standard treatment. Recently, studies in recent years have shown that immunotherapy is becoming increasingly important in the treatment of small cell lung cancer.
The combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy has a positive impact on the prognosis of patients with small cell lung cancer, especially when the disease is intervened in the early stage.
Prognosis and future prospects
Although small cell lung cancer generally responds well to treatment, the vast majority of patients will relapse. Statistics show that the five-year survival rate for limited-stage cases can reach 21.3%, but for extensive-stage cases it is only about 2.8%. Although the mortality rate has decreased year by year, the long-term survival of small cell lung cancer still faces challenges. With new treatments and continued advances in research, survival rates for small cell lung cancer may improve in the future.
In the face of the rapid growth of small cell lung cancer and the challenges it brings, can we find more effective ways to combat the spread of this malignant disease?
