

This statistic is another method used to estimate cancer-specific survival that does not use information about the cause of death. In most cases, cancer-specific survival is based on causes of death listed in medical records. Cancer-specific survival is also called disease-specific survival. The period of time may be 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, etc., with 5 years being the time period most often used. This is the percentage of patients with a specific type and stage of cancer who have not died from their cancer during a certain period of time after diagnosis. The most commonly used statistics include: Several types of statistics may be used to estimate prognosis. Understanding Statistics About Survivalĭoctors estimate prognosis by using statistics that researchers have collected over many years about people with the same type of cancer. If you need help coping with your prognosis, you may find our information on Coping With Cancer helpful. If you do decide you want to know more, the doctor who knows the most about your situation is in the best position to discuss your prognosis and explain what the statistics may mean. It is up to you to decide how much information you want. Or, you may find statistics confusing and frightening, and think they are too impersonal to be of value to you. You may ask your doctor about survival statistics or search for this information on your own. They find it easier to cope when they know more about their cancer. Many people want to know their prognosis.



