The doctor obtains a tissue sample of your lymph nodes to evaluate for spread of the tumor. Doctors may remove a portion of a lobe, a full lobe, or an entire lung. The extent of removal depends on the size of your tumor, its location, and how far it has spread. These treatments will increase your survival a small extent. They are very effective in controlling symptoms.
Doctors treat small-cell lung cancer with chemotherapy.
People with extensive non-operable lung cancer have an average survival of 9 months. How well you function also can predict your survival. Someone with small-cell lung cancer who functions well has an advantage over someone who cannot work or pursue normal activities. Cigarette smoking is highly addictive, and quitting often proves to be difficult. But smoking rates have decreased recently in North America, as well as in other parts of the world.