Learning that you have cancer can be a frightening thing. It is the one bit of news that brings us all face to face with our own mortality. So one of the first questions a patient will ask after hearing the diagnosis is 'what are my chances of survival?' Some even go as far as to ask for the survival statistics for bone cancer by looking at the survival rates of others who have experienced it before them.
Bone Cancer's 5-Year Survival Rate:
When it comes to survival statistics for bone cancer, the 5-year survival rate reflects the percentage of patients who have lived for at least five years after diagnosis. The assumption assumes that if you die at all during that period of time it will be from other causes rather than from cancer.
In order for doctors to determine this 5-year survival rate, they have to look at a number of patients that have undergone cancer treatment for at least that long. They may also look at the number of new and progressive treatment options that may have extended the life expectancy of patients that have suffered from the disease.
Survival Rates Can Vary:
Because the survival rate is determined by a combination of your personal circumstances and a history of patients before you, every prognosis can be different. Many factors must be considered carefully that can change your potential survival rate. Factors that may be analyzed could include your age, the location of the cancer, the size of the tumor, and the type of treatment you receive. Your doctor should go over the risks and possibilities carefully before he tells you what your potential survival rate may be. This is why, these numbers will vary greatly from one place to the next.
The Numbers:
The overall prognosis for those with bone cancer is approximately 70% of patients diagnosed. This number includes both children and adults. However, for adults only, the number could go as high as 80%,
When you narrow down your search, where the bone cancer begins in the body will also have a major impact on the statistics. For example, cancer that develops in the bone first and then spreads to other parts of the body make up less than 0.2% of all bone cancer patients.
It is important to keep in mind that any of the numbers you're given about your prognosis of bone cancer are merely estimates or educated guesses. Many of these numbers come from the review of thousands of patients with cancer. You also need to consider which country these estimates come from. No one location has a perfect combination of survival statistics for bone cancer. Your own risk and prognosis could differ greatly from them all. No one can tell you exactly how long you have to live, even if conditions are grave. Therefore, you should accept those numbers as they truly are. Your best bet for getting a handle on your diagnosis of bone cancer is to work hand in hand with your doctor to find an effective treatment that will help you to reverse the steady progression of the disease.