February 15th, 2008
Small Cell Cancer
Small cell cancer is one of the scarier forms of lung cancer. There isn’t any kind of lung cancer that isn’t scary, as they are all more often terminal than not, however small cell cancer tends to be the most aggressive. Most people with small cell cancer will die in 2 to 4 months after being diagnosed.
The reason for the short post-diagnosis lifespan is that by the time small cell cancer starts to show serious symptoms, it is often already spread around the body. When the cancer has spread to areas all over the body, surgical removal is not really an option, as it can’t be expected to significantly increase life expectancy enough to justify the risks and adverse health effects.