5 year survival rates vs. 3 year screening clearance?

Question

Why is it said that a person is "out of the woods" if given a clean bill of health for three years when cancer statistics are spoken in terms of five year survival rates?

Answer 1

Most physicians in the Oncology field use 5 years as the benchmark. Usually we say someone is in remission and not cured. The farther someone gets out from their cancer diagnosis, the better the chances are that the cancer won't come back, but you can never say for sure.

Answer 2

Cancer survival statistics are typically expressed as the proportion of patients alive at some point subsequent to the diagnosis of their cancer. Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. Observed survival is the actual percentage of patients still alive at some specified time after diagnosis of cancer. Survival considers deaths from all causes, cancer or otherwise. Depending on the type of the cancer ( there are more than 100 types of cancer) 3year period is a good prognosis that the cancer will not return.

Answer 3

I was diagnosed with cancer in stage 4 and was declared cancer free after three years. I am however still of the opinion that its five years but cancer is something that can return at any time or never again.

Answer 4

Have they really changed it to 3 years. I have a friend of mine who is a cancer survivor and they are still telling her 5 years.

Answer 5

in MY SITUATION, I THOUGHT 5YRS ALSO AND WAS SO GLAD TO REACH MY FIVE YEAR MARK BUT I GUESS THAT'S NOT TRUE AS IT"S BEEN 15 YEARS AND MIND CAME BACK THIS PAST MARCH, BOY WAS I SURPRISED. iF YOU HAVE EVER HAD CANCER KEEP- GETTING CHECKED, I STARTED LETTING MY DOCTOR VISITS SLIDE GOES I THOUGHT I WAS OUT OF WOODS. NOW I DON'T BELIEVE THERE 'S NO SUCH THING.