Stage 4 Cancer Life Expectancy

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There are two causes of cancer, one is a genetic predisposition and the other being environmental factors. There are many myths associated with this disease and people generally believe that a person with cancer is bound to die in a few weeks. However, the stage 4 cancer life expectancy for most types of cancer is considerably more than a few weeks. It is important to understand what is cancer before looking in to the stage 4 cancer survival rate. Cancer is described as a class of diseases wherein cells display uncontrollable growth and invade nearby tissues causing damage which at times is fatal.

Cancer treatment and management includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, etc., the procedure varies according to the type of cancer and the stage of cancer. There are several side effects associated with cancer treatment like hair loss, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, etc. At times the cancer treatment can in itself be debilitating and can affect the person psychologically. However, all is not doom and gloom, radiation and chemotherapy are known to be curative, and surgery has also proved to be effective in treating certain kinds of cancers.

Life expectancy of Stage 4 Cancer

Breast Cancer
The stage 4 breast cancer life expectancy is around 15 percent, meaning only 15 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer live for 5 years or more. The stage 4 breast cancer prognosis also depends on the age and health of the patient. In some cases the patient responds well to the breast cancer treatment being administered and the life expectancy will increase in such cases.

Lung Cancer
In stage 4 lung cancer the prognosis is that less than 10 percent patients live up to the 5 year period. The survival percentage increases a little with patients who have had a surgical resection for their lung cancer. The stage four cancer life expectancy for patients who are younger than 30 years of age is much higher than those above 30.

Liver Cancer
Stage 4 liver cancer has one of the lowest survival rates with less than 6 percent of people surviving up to 5 years. In the fourth stage there are almost no treatment options and medication is administered for pain relief. As yet there is no medical procedure for liver transplant and this is one of the hurdles in treating patients with stage 4 liver cancer.

Stomach Cancer
The overall stomach cancer survival rate is considered to be between 15-20 percent. Early detection is one of the key's for effective cancer treatment and unfortunately almost 80 percent cases of stomach cancer are diagnosed in the fourth stage. Late detection contributes to low stage 4 cancer life expectancy rates as the treatment options in this later stage are limited.

Prostate Cancer
It is one of the most common cancers affecting old men and the stage 4 prostate cancer prognosis predicts that almost 30 percent men survive up to 5 years. The statistics for prostate cancer although aren't conclusive because many die due to other health complications. Hormonal therapy is one of the preferred forms of treatment methods for prostate cancer.

Pancreatic Cancer
The stage 4 pancreatic cancer survival rate is less than 5 percent making it one of the worst cancer survival rates. The treatment options are limited with most doctors opting for chemotherapy and surgery. Like other cancers, late detection means that the pancreatic cancer has affected the lymph nodes making it difficult to treat.

Brain Cancer
There are different types of brain cancer and in some the stage 4 brain cancer survival rate is around 20 percent. There is one form of brain cancer known as 'Glioblastoma Multiforme' which has a life expectancy of 8-12 months. Even with extensive treatment options like chemoradiotherapy, open craniotomy, gamma knife radiosurgery, the prognosis is poor for brain cancer.

One of the reasons behind the low stage 4 cancer life expectancy rates is late detection. Even with so much advancement in medical technology there hasn't been much progress when it comes to effective cancer treatment plans.