5 years." In some cases, long-term survival of 10+ years is achieved with chemotherapy and radiation alone. 5-year survival rates The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates based on age, sex, and race and is considered the most accurate source of survival information. This database uses terms "Localized," "Regional," and "Distant" to describe various stages of small cell lung cancer. 5-year relative survival rate for "both sexes" and "all races" affected by "Localized" small cell lung cancer is 28.5%; "Regional" small cell lung cancer 14.9%; and for "Distant" small cell lung cancer 2.9%. Survival rates by sex Women affected by small-cell lung cancer have higher 5-year survival rates than men. Localized: Women – 32.2% | Men – 24.5% Regional: Women – 17.0% | Men – 12.3% Distant: Women – 3.6% | Men – 2.2% Survival rates by race, sex, age 5-year relative survival statistics are more accurate and, in some cases, higher when specific race and age range are combined with sex and stage at diagnosis. For example, Black / Female | Ages < 50 (at diagnosis) | Distant (ES SCLC) | = 7.0%. White / Female | Ages < 50 (at diagnosis) | Distant (ES SCLC) | = 6.1% National Cancer Institute's SEER maintains publicly accessible database for specific survival rates. Epidemiology 15% of lung cancers in the US are of this type. Small cell lung cancer occurs almost exclusively in smokers – most commonly in heavy smokers and rarely in non-smokers. Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act In 2013, the US Congress passed the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act, which mandated increased attention to certain recalcitrant cancers, including small cell lung cancer. That led to the National Cancer Institute supporting small cell–specific research through a consortium. As a result, new experimental drugs for small cell lung cancer are currently being tested, including Iadademstat (ORY-1001) and Keytruda (pembrolizumab). Additional images Notable cases Dustin Diamond, perhaps best known as an actor on Saved by the Bell. See also Brown-Séquard syndrome Cervical cancer References Carcinoma Cytopathology Infectious causes of cancer Lung cancer Rare diseases