Cancer question?

First and foremost: my heart goes out to you and your family in every way possible. And secondly, I do want to make it very clear that I am, in no way, a specialist, doctor, or anything of that nature when it comes to cancer or general health. I know a bit about cancer, however, due to a strong family history of a wide range of cancers, from lung cancer to nonhodgkin's lymphoma.
From what I know about lung cancer, it is a very deadly cancer and quickley spreads. However, if your grandfather has been 'clean' of cancer for 5 1/2 years, he will probably live out the rest of his life comfortably as he would if he did not have cancer. Now, is your grandfather in remission or is he still being treated? This also makes a large difference.
This is really all I can tell you and all I feel I have the right to tell you considering the small amount of information I had to go on. I wish you and your family the best of luck. I have included other facts and frequently asked questions below should you have any more interest in reading about this.

Q. How is lung cancer treated?

A. The doctor is the best person to answer questions about treatment. The choice of treatment options for each person will depend upon the stage of the disease and the person's general state of health. Several kinds of treatment are available. Chemotherapy or a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the most common treatments for small cell lung cancer. Surgery is usually the treatment of lung cancers that are localized (i.e., have not spread). Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are often used because the disease has spread by the time it is diagnosed. Some researchers are developing biological therapy for lung cancer. This type of treatment uses the body's immune system to fight cancer cells.

Surgery: The preferred treatment for persons with non-small cell lung cancer that has not spread beyond the chest. Surgery can be part of the treatment for small cell lung cancer, but is usually appropriate for only a small number of people.

Chemotherapy: Drugs that are used to kill cancer cells. The drugs are usually given in cycles, with each treatment followed by a period of recovery. Most patients have chemotherapy as outpatients. Chemotherapy can temporarily cause hair loss, nausea and vomiting, bruising easily, and a susceptibility to infections. Side effects vary according to the drug(s) and the patients.

Radiation Therapy: The use of high-energy rays to damage cancer cells so they stop reproducing or growing. After radiation treatments, patients may become fatigued, and the skin near the treatment area may become discolored, itchy and sensitive. Some patients have a dry, sore throat for a short while after treatment.

Lung cancer facts:
Lung cancer is a common form of cancer. It is the chief cause of cancer deaths for both men and women, although the rate of lung cancer is declining significantly for men.
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 172,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer and more than 163,000 people die from lung cancers each year.
Lung cancer is considered to be the most tragic type of cancer because, in most cases, it could have been prevented. Smoking tobacco is responsible for 87 percent of lung cancers. The risk of dying from lung cancer is 22 times higher for men who smoke and 12 times higher for women who smoke than it is for people who never smoked.
Lung cancer is cancer of the lungs. Like other parts of the body, the lungs are made up of many types of cells. Cells divide in an orderly, controlled way to produce more cells when more cells are needed in the body. When cells divide in an abnormal, uncontrolled way, they can form either a benign or malignant tumor:

Benign tumors are not cancerous. They are rarely life-threatening.
Malignant tumors are cancerous. Cancer cells can spread to nearby healthy cells and destroy them. The cancerous cells can also invade other parts of the body. Cancerous cells in the lungs can spread to the lymph glands, which are located nearby. The cancer can also spread to other parts of the body.
Lung cancers can be divided into two main types: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. The cancer cells of each type grow and spread in different ways, and they are treated differently.

Non-small cell lung cancer
Most lung cancers are non-small cell. There are three main types of non-small cell lung cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.

For men, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common kind of lung cancer. It does not spread as quickly as other types, and it usually starts in the bronchi.
For women and for nonsmokers, the most common type of lung cancer is adenocarcinoma. It usually starts around the outer edges of the lungs and under the lining of the bronchi.
A group of cancers with large, abnormal cells -- large cell carcinomas -- also usually begins around the outer edges of the lungs.
Small cell lung cancer
About 15 to 20 percent of the newly diagnosed lung cancer cases are small-cell carcinomas -- a type of lung cancer in which the cells are small and round. It is also sometimes called "oat cell" lung cancer. This type of cancer grows rapidly and quickly spreads to other organs.