Conditional Survival – 4 years post surgery

Interesting question. i think with other types of cancer, the 5 year mark takes you back into normal lifespan/survival expectations. I'm not sure this is the case with melanoma… Stats are often in 5 and 10 year rates, suggesting that impact of disease can extend beyond the five year mark. For examples:

http://www.melanomapatients.org.au/information/statistics/prognosis

If you read some of the posts on the forum you will read about both extended periods of time with no problems – like you – but also people plagued with recurrence years and years after diagnosis. Hopefully you will remain in the first group forever more!

Interesting question. i think with other types of cancer, the 5 year mark takes you back into normal lifespan/survival expectations. I'm not sure this is the case with melanoma… Stats are often in 5 and 10 year rates, suggesting that impact of disease can extend beyond the five year mark. For examples:

http://www.melanomapatients.org.au/information/statistics/prognosis

If you read some of the posts on the forum you will read about both extended periods of time with no problems – like you – but also people plagued with recurrence years and years after diagnosis. Hopefully you will remain in the first group forever more!

Interesting question. i think with other types of cancer, the 5 year mark takes you back into normal lifespan/survival expectations. I'm not sure this is the case with melanoma… Stats are often in 5 and 10 year rates, suggesting that impact of disease can extend beyond the five year mark. For examples:

http://www.melanomapatients.org.au/information/statistics/prognosis

If you read some of the posts on the forum you will read about both extended periods of time with no problems – like you – but also people plagued with recurrence years and years after diagnosis. Hopefully you will remain in the first group forever more!

Yes, the survival curves do increase over time and at some year out, begin to level off.  They never go to zero as melanoma can recur many years out.  But your odds do increase the longer out you go from your initial diagnosis.

Yes, the survival curves do increase over time and at some year out, begin to level off.  They never go to zero as melanoma can recur many years out.  But your odds do increase the longer out you go from your initial diagnosis.

Yes, the survival curves do increase over time and at some year out, begin to level off.  They never go to zero as melanoma can recur many years out.  But your odds do increase the longer out you go from your initial diagnosis.

Each day you live without a recurrence the more likely you will continue to do so.  That being said, it is not unheard of to have a relapse decades later.  Stay vigilant.

I was diagnosed 2A.  Eight years later by happenstance had a back x-ray which picked up a lung nodule.  No symptoms, nothing.  I went straight to stage IV.  Fortunately that was 5 years ago.  Following lung surgery and a course of IL-2, I became NED.

Because I had systemic treatment with IL-2 and have been NED for 5 years, I probably won't have a recurrance, at least according to the latest long term survival study of IL-2 patients.  That is what I hang my hat on.

Lesson – never turn your back on it, keep getting your scans or visits to onc. as required.  In my case I moved home 4 years after my initial diagnosis and never followed up with an oncologist.  I was lucky my chiropracter inadverdently saved my life.  Very rare for someone at my stage and that far out to relapse, but I did.  Fortunately my ability to do the rare thing followed me and I was successful with IL-2.

Best of luck!

Each day you live without a recurrence the more likely you will continue to do so.  That being said, it is not unheard of to have a relapse decades later.  Stay vigilant.

I was diagnosed 2A.  Eight years later by happenstance had a back x-ray which picked up a lung nodule.  No symptoms, nothing.  I went straight to stage IV.  Fortunately that was 5 years ago.  Following lung surgery and a course of IL-2, I became NED.

Because I had systemic treatment with IL-2 and have been NED for 5 years, I probably won't have a recurrance, at least according to the latest long term survival study of IL-2 patients.  That is what I hang my hat on.

Lesson – never turn your back on it, keep getting your scans or visits to onc. as required.  In my case I moved home 4 years after my initial diagnosis and never followed up with an oncologist.  I was lucky my chiropracter inadverdently saved my life.  Very rare for someone at my stage and that far out to relapse, but I did.  Fortunately my ability to do the rare thing followed me and I was successful with IL-2.

Best of luck!

Each day you live without a recurrence the more likely you will continue to do so.  That being said, it is not unheard of to have a relapse decades later.  Stay vigilant.

I was diagnosed 2A.  Eight years later by happenstance had a back x-ray which picked up a lung nodule.  No symptoms, nothing.  I went straight to stage IV.  Fortunately that was 5 years ago.  Following lung surgery and a course of IL-2, I became NED.

Because I had systemic treatment with IL-2 and have been NED for 5 years, I probably won't have a recurrance, at least according to the latest long term survival study of IL-2 patients.  That is what I hang my hat on.

Lesson – never turn your back on it, keep getting your scans or visits to onc. as required.  In my case I moved home 4 years after my initial diagnosis and never followed up with an oncologist.  I was lucky my chiropracter inadverdently saved my life.  Very rare for someone at my stage and that far out to relapse, but I did.  Fortunately my ability to do the rare thing followed me and I was successful with IL-2.

Best of luck!

My oncologist and I have been talking about this very subject. And yes, as other posters have said, the odds of continued survival increase the longer one survives. There is statistics behind it, based on Baye's Thereom of conditional probability.

Woohoo!!!

Best of luck – Paul

My oncologist and I have been talking about this very subject. And yes, as other posters have said, the odds of continued survival increase the longer one survives. There is statistics behind it, based on Baye's Thereom of conditional probability.

Woohoo!!!

Best of luck – Paul

My oncologist and I have been talking about this very subject. And yes, as other posters have said, the odds of continued survival increase the longer one survives. There is statistics behind it, based on Baye's Thereom of conditional probability.

Woohoo!!!

Best of luck – Paul