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 Institutes 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.
When the primary site is in the skin, it is referred to as a Merkel-cell carcinoma. Extrapulmonary small-cell carcinoma localized in the lymph nodes
This is an extremely rare type of small cell, and there has been little information in the scientific community. It appears to occur in only one or more lymph nodes, and nowhere else in the body. Treatment is similar to small cell lung cancer, but survival rates are much higher than other small-cell carcinomas. Small-cell carcinoma of the prostate
Small-cell carcinoma of the prostate (SCCP) is a rare form of prostate cancer (approx. 1% of PC). Due to the fact that there is little variation in prostate specific antigen levels, SCCP is normally diagnosed at an advanced stage, after metastasis. Symptomatic metastasis of SCCP to the brain is rare, and carries a poor prognosis. Genetics
TP53 is mutated in 70 to 90% of SCLCs. RB1 and the retinoblastoma pathway are inactivated in most SCLCs. PTEN is mutated in 2 to 10%. MYC amplifications and amplification of MYC family members are found in 30% of SCLCs. Loss of heterozygocity on chromosome arm 3p is found in more than 80% of SCLCs, including the loss of FHIT. One hundred translocations have so far been reported in SCLCs (see the "Mitelman Database" and the Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Haematology,). Diagnosis
When

Localized: the cancer is confined to the lung (aka: limited stage SCLC). Regional: the cancer has spread to lymph nodes (or glands) within the chest (between limited and extensive stage SCLC).