Survival Rates
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Survival Rates

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Survival Rates

  • Post
    • May 20, 2012 at 7:09 pm
    JC
    Participant

    I think most cancers talk about 5 and 10 year survival rates.  I'm not sure, but I think they do 5 year because with some cancers if there is NED after 5 years, doctors will say they believe the person to be "cured."  Of course, we know melanoma does not fit nicely into that category because it can come back after many many years.  So, then, why for melanoma don't they put survival rates down for 15 or 20 years?  Like, an in-situ or 1a or 1b 20-year survival rate? 

    I think most cancers talk about 5 and 10 year survival rates.  I'm not sure, but I think they do 5 year because with some cancers if there is NED after 5 years, doctors will say they believe the person to be "cured."  Of course, we know melanoma does not fit nicely into that category because it can come back after many many years.  So, then, why for melanoma don't they put survival rates down for 15 or 20 years?  Like, an in-situ or 1a or 1b 20-year survival rate? 

Viewing 11 reply threads
  • Replies
      • May 20, 2012 at 7:45 pm
      washoegal
      Participant

      Don't think anyone has an answer to that question except for the fact that there might not be a large enough group to statiticly matter.

      On the other side of the coin, be glad they don't no one that had mel no matter what the stage would probably every get insurance if they went out 20 years!

      • May 20, 2012 at 7:45 pm
      washoegal
      Participant

      Don't think anyone has an answer to that question except for the fact that there might not be a large enough group to statiticly matter.

      On the other side of the coin, be glad they don't no one that had mel no matter what the stage would probably every get insurance if they went out 20 years!

      • May 20, 2012 at 7:45 pm
      washoegal
      Participant

      Don't think anyone has an answer to that question except for the fact that there might not be a large enough group to statiticly matter.

      On the other side of the coin, be glad they don't no one that had mel no matter what the stage would probably every get insurance if they went out 20 years!

      • May 20, 2012 at 11:52 pm
      natasha
      Participant

      Some melanoma ( cancer ) math tools (like survive rate canculator0 ,which I tryed online ,give you answer for 15 years in advance. Of course ,this is not 100 right prognosys ,but they considering 15 years survival. I am stage 1a and I think it gave me chanse to be survive for 15 years 96 percent ,to dye of incident or desease 2 percent and to dye of cancer 2%

      • May 20, 2012 at 11:52 pm
      natasha
      Participant

      Some melanoma ( cancer ) math tools (like survive rate canculator0 ,which I tryed online ,give you answer for 15 years in advance. Of course ,this is not 100 right prognosys ,but they considering 15 years survival. I am stage 1a and I think it gave me chanse to be survive for 15 years 96 percent ,to dye of incident or desease 2 percent and to dye of cancer 2%

      • May 20, 2012 at 11:52 pm
      natasha
      Participant

      Some melanoma ( cancer ) math tools (like survive rate canculator0 ,which I tryed online ,give you answer for 15 years in advance. Of course ,this is not 100 right prognosys ,but they considering 15 years survival. I am stage 1a and I think it gave me chanse to be survive for 15 years 96 percent ,to dye of incident or desease 2 percent and to dye of cancer 2%

      • May 21, 2012 at 6:09 am
      Harry in Fair Oaks
      Participant

      I think that the quality of the data would suffer the further out you go.  It's hard to follow the survivor populations for 20 years.

      Best wishes,

      Harry

      • May 21, 2012 at 6:09 am
      Harry in Fair Oaks
      Participant

      I think that the quality of the data would suffer the further out you go.  It's hard to follow the survivor populations for 20 years.

      Best wishes,

      Harry

      • May 21, 2012 at 6:09 am
      Harry in Fair Oaks
      Participant

      I think that the quality of the data would suffer the further out you go.  It's hard to follow the survivor populations for 20 years.

      Best wishes,

      Harry

      • June 2, 2012 at 8:46 am
      AlisonC
      Participant
      Sorry for the late reply….you can find long term survival curves calculated by the AJCC here:

      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793035/

      Remember these are outcomes for people who were diagnosed and treated up to 2 decades ago when initial treatments were different.

      🙂

      AlisonC
      Stage IIIB
      NED since 2001

      • June 2, 2012 at 8:46 am
      AlisonC
      Participant
      Sorry for the late reply….you can find long term survival curves calculated by the AJCC here:

      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793035/

      Remember these are outcomes for people who were diagnosed and treated up to 2 decades ago when initial treatments were different.

      🙂

      AlisonC
      Stage IIIB
      NED since 2001

      • June 2, 2012 at 8:46 am
      AlisonC
      Participant
      Sorry for the late reply….you can find long term survival curves calculated by the AJCC here:

      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793035/

      Remember these are outcomes for people who were diagnosed and treated up to 2 decades ago when initial treatments were different.

      🙂

      AlisonC
      Stage IIIB
      NED since 2001

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