When an individual is diagnosed with a disease, typically a medical prognosis is made which is the expected outcome of the disease.
A cancer prognosis is based on many factors and can be given in terms of recovery, the likely hood of cancer returning or recurrence, and life expectancy.
These determinations are based on statistics from numerous researchers who have studied thousands upon thousands of cancer patients over many years.
It is important to note however, that every individual is unique and that these prognoses can be unpredictable as some individuals may respond better to treatment than others while in other cases the cancer may progress at a faster rate.
Choosing to know these statistics is a matter of personal preference as some individuals may not want to know this information as they feel it may not pertain to them or they find it frightening, however, most individuals do want to know as they find it helpful to them in coping and making decisions based on this information.
Factors which are taken into Consideration when Making a Prognosis There are numerous factors taken into consideration when it comes to making a prognosis.
The physician when possible will try and match the statistics from the groups of people which resemble the individual's situation the closest.
The primary factors which are taken into consideration are the location and type of cancer that an individual has as well as what stage the disease is in or how far it has metastasized or spread.
Another important factor is the cancer cells themselves and how they look in relation to their abnormality and their potential for rapid growth or spreading.
With individuals who have hematologic cancers which are cancers of the bone marrow and blood -such as lymphomas and leukemias - the "CBC" or "complete blood count" is checked for abnormalities as well as chromosomal abnormalities which is also factor in the prognosis.
Other factors which contribute to a prognosis are age, overall health, and how well they are responding to treatment.
Prognosis Statistics When a physician makes a prognosis using statistics, he is basing his information on all the factors above and trying to predict what the outcome will be.
It is important to keep in mind that these statistics are based on large groups of people and all individuals are not alike and these predicted outcomes may not be accurate for every individual as many may have a different form of treatment or response to those treatments.
One of the prognoses which can be given is the "survival rate".
This is given based on the percentages of individuals according to the specific type of cancer and at what stage the disease has progressed to and how long they survived after being diagnosed.
The "5-year survival rate" is another prognosis which is used and is based upon the percentage of individuals who have survived cancer past the five year mark and whether they are cancer free, have no symptoms or signs, or they are going through treatment.
"Recurrence-free survival rate"- also known as "disease free rate" is the prognosis made as to how long a person can survive free from cancer after treatment.
Prognosis When Deciding Against Treatment Making a prognosis for an individual who decides against treatment can be very difficult as survival rate statistics are primarily based upon past treatments and newer treatments and not based upon having no treatment at all.
This is also dependent upon the overall situation which is unique to every individual and should be discussed with the physician who knows the individual and his or her situation best.
There are many different reasons why an individual may choose to not have any treatments one of which is the side effects related to these treatments, however, there are many medications available which can counteract these side effects and these options should be explored when making any decisions about treatment.
Another reason for refusing treatment may to due to an unfavorable prognosis given even if the individual were to have the treatments.
In this situation another option which may be available is through clinical trials where newer drugs being tested may offer a better chance of being effective than the standard forms of treatment currently available.