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What does “The median OS at 2 years was not reached” mean?
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What does “The median OS at 2 years was not reached” mean?

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › What does “The median OS at 2 years was not reached” mean?

  • Post
    • August 19, 2018 at 3:51 am
    betsyl
    Participant

      I know OS means overall survivial, but what do the studies mean when they say the medial overall survival at 2 years was not reached ?

      I wish there were plain-English versions of the study reports.

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    • Replies
        • August 19, 2018 at 3:58 am
        betsyl
        Participant

          I just found this definition of median survival:

          "Median survival is a statistic that refers to how long patients survive with a disease in general or after a certain treatment. It is the time—expressed in months or years—when half the patients are expected to be alive. It means that the chance of surviving beyond that time is 50 percent."

          So to say the median survival was "not reached at 2 years" must mean that at 2 years more than half the patients were still alive, and therefore they still don't know what the median OS is.

          Do I have this right?

            • August 19, 2018 at 4:46 am
            Nemesis
            Participant

              I take it to mean the oposite. 50% of the patients have not survive to 2 years.

              • August 19, 2018 at 4:47 am
              Nemesis
              Participant

                I take it to mean the oposite. 50% of the patients have not survived to 2 years.

              • August 19, 2018 at 1:09 pm
              Bubbles
              Participant

                In plain English:  Median = half.  Median overall survival means the time 1/2 the patients are expected to live after a certain experience or treatment.  If the median overall survival is not yet reached at a certain point on the time line (2 years in your example) it is because more than half of the ratties in question are STILL ALIVE!!!!!  Therefore, the study has not yet reached the point where half of the participants are deceased.

                Hope that helps.  Celeste

                  • August 19, 2018 at 2:42 pm
                  ed williams
                  Participant

                    Celeste, we need a like button on this forum!!!

                    • August 19, 2018 at 5:00 pm
                    betsyl
                    Participant

                      Thank you! 

                      • August 19, 2018 at 5:02 pm
                      betsyl
                      Participant

                        "Overall survival not reached" sounds so negative, but it's actually positive. I bet a lot of patients get scared when they see this phrase. I know I did!

                        • August 19, 2018 at 5:08 pm
                        betsyl
                        Participant

                          Also, not yet reached makes it sound like the participants are going to die, but they just haven't died yet. When the fact is if you get a response (even if partial) and you make it to 3+ years, the survival curve "flattens," (which also sounds vaguely negative!) but actually means you're probably going to stay alive and eventually die much later from some other cause. In other words, you're more or less cured.

                          Do I have this right??

                          • August 19, 2018 at 5:05 pm
                          UBContributor
                          Participant

                            OK, very professionally explained! thank you, Seleste.

                          • August 19, 2018 at 5:02 pm
                          happyfeet123
                          Participant

                            If the median hasn't been reached because ratties are still alive does this mean the overall survival would change?   My thought would be more people are alive than expected after the two years so the survival rate is better than expected.  I agree with anonymous these statistics get very confusing for us patients.  

                              • August 19, 2018 at 5:09 pm
                              ed williams
                              Participant

                                To the last Anon, if they haven't got to a median survival # yet then that is super positive!!! A few years ago (2012) brain mets median survival was between 2 to 3 months and stage 4 overall median survival was 8 to 9 months. In the newer melanoma trials checkmate 067 with the combination of ipi/nivo when they reported last year median survival had not been reached and the nivo monotherapy group the median was 37months. Here is a link to support the trial data. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1709684

                                • August 20, 2018 at 1:13 am
                                betsyl
                                Participant

                                  That's so great!

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