Cancer is a deadly disease, and it’s hard to hear the words “you have cancer.” The life expectancy of someone with a stage 4 cancer depends on several factors, including how quickly the cancer spreads, the type of cancer, and their overall health. However, there are a number of things you can do to improve your chances of survival and have a better outlook, even in this advanced stage.
When someone is diagnosed with a stage 4 cancer, the doctor describes the severity of the disease by the stages of cancer. Stage 4 cancer is the most advanced and has spread from its original site to distant parts of the body. This is called metastatic cancer, and it’s often diagnosed years after the initial diagnosis or after a patient has undergone treatment for another cancer and later experienced the recurrence of their original cancer.
Life expectancy is calculated based on the statistics of thousands of patients with a specific disease at a particular stage. The most common statistic to determine a person’s stage 4 cancer life expectancy is the five-year survival rate, which is what doctors call the percentage of people with this specific diagnosis who live for more than five years after their initial diagnosis.
The life expectancy (LE) is also impacted by the stage of cancer when it was first diagnosed. The earlier the cancer, the lower the LE, which is because the cancer cells haven’t spread as widely.
As the cancer progresses to its final stages, LE tends to decline. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, such as ovarian cancer. This stage of cancer has a lower LE than other stages because it is rare for the disease to spread as far as ovarian cancer.
For some types of cancer, particularly breast and prostate, it’s possible for the cancer to enter remission at stage 4. Remission means that the tumor no longer grows or causes symptoms, but it doesn’t mean the cancer is completely gone.
Some patients with stage 4 cancer are treated with observation or watchful waiting if they have other serious health problems. This is called palliative care, and the goal is to improve a patient’s quality of life by reducing their symptoms and discomfort.
Stage 4 cancer can also be treated with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. These treatments can extend survival by months for many patients. For example, for pleural mesothelioma, the best approach is to remove as much of the cancerous tissue as possible with surgery and then use radiation therapy or a blend of treatments to reduce symptoms such as pain and breathlessness.
Regardless of the stage of their cancer, it’s normal for people to feel fear and anxiety when they learn about their life expectancy. However, with advancements in treatment and research, it’s becoming more and more possible for people to enjoy healthy and productive lives after a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Talking to a trusted loved one, counselor or support group can help ease the stress of this conversation.
