For stage 3 lung cancer, the prognosis depends not only on many patient factors (age, gender, concomitant diseases), tumor factors (size, location, histological type), but also on the results of the treatment. Even with a successful operation, a relapse is possible after some time, which will require new intervention. Therefore in
oncology they never talk about a successful cure. The absence of ongoing tumor growth is called “remission.”
It is difficult to make a survival prognosis for patients with stage 3 lung cancer, since it must also take into account the disease’s response to treatment. The prescribed first-line drugs may turn out to be ineffective in this particular case, and then they move on to second-line drugs or even targeted therapy.
Even if regression of tumor growth has occurred, the patient remains under the follow-up of an oncologist, who monitors the results of regular examinations. The purpose of these examinations is to detect a possible relapse in time and resume treatment.