How long one can live with lung cancer cannot be generalized. According to the Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Lung Cancer, it is suggested that for lung cancer patients in China, the 5-year survival rates for non-small cell lung cancer stages I to IV are 75%, 55%, 20% and 5% respectively; while the 5-year survival rates for small cell lung cancer stages I to IV are 45%, 25%, 8% and 3% respectively. For lung cancer patients, the prognosis obtained by an individual is related to many factors, such as clinical stage, individual age, gender and physical health, etc. However, the clinicopathologic stage is the most important and stable indicator to help patients predict the length of survival. Our statistics are similar to those of the AJCC. In general, the survival time of small cell lung cancer patients is shorter than that of non-small cell lung cancer, and the later the stage, the lower the 5-year survival rate of patients. Therefore, individuals should have regular medical checkups to recognize and diagnose lung cancer at an early stage, so as to prolong the survival time.