Cancer Statistics
By collecting, organizing and interpreting numerical data
and analyzing a sample and relating it to a population, it is
possible to come to certain conclusions about cancer. These
information or data are known as Cancer statistics.
A cancer patient’s prognosis is predicted by using cancer
statistics. Prognosis is something that is discussed between
cancer patients and their doctors which will give the patient
an idea of the most probable outcome of their cancer condition
(whether they might fully recover or whether they might have
the cancer returning).
There are several important factors that could affect a
patients’ prognosis, such as: type of the cancer, location of
the cancer, the extent to which the cancer has spread, the
abnormality of the cancer cells and growth rate of the
cancer.
Other external factors that can also affect the prognosis of
the patient are the patient’s age, normal health condition and
how the patient responds to the treatment given.
When the doctor discusses a patient’s prognosis, they carefully
consider the cancer statistics available to them thanks to the
researchers who’ve collected information over years on various
cancer patients.
The doctors carefully analyze the cancer statistics, and uses
cancer statistics that are of a group of people most similar to
the patient – especially regarding the factors that affect the
prognosis.
For instance, if the patient is a male of the age 34, who used
to be a heavy smoker, the doctor will take into consideration-
the cancer statistics that are available of cancer patients of
age group between – perhaps 30- 40, who are males and who were
smokers, to base this particular patient’s prognosis.
Survival Rate- the percentage of cancer patients who have
survived for a certain period of time after being diagnosed,
with a certain type of cancer that has spread to a certain
extent; The five year survival rate- the percentage of people
who are still alive after five years from their initial
diagnosis whether they have no symptoms of cancer, have few
cancer symptoms or are either completely free of cancer or
undergoing treatment; and Recurrence-free survival rate- shows
how long a once cancer patient would survive free of the
disease, rather than until death, are some of the commonly used
cancer statistics.
The National Cancer Institute produces a report called the SEER
cancer statistics review that is consistent with the latest
cancer incidents and is available to the American public.The
latest edition of this cancer statistics review includes
statistics from 1975 to year 2005- the latest year to which
these statistics are currently available.
Other countries such as the United Kingdom also publish their
own Cancer statistics reports, usually free for the public.
Cancer statistics are also useful for University students
studying, for example Oncology and other research groups; hence
it is extremely gratifying that cancer statistics reports such
as those mentioned above are available for the public for free;
as they improve public awareness of the dreaded disease-
cancer.
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