What exactly does "a 5 year survival rate of 70-80%" mean?

Question

A while ago my wife was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. The Doctors are all very vague about everything. From what I've read, EVERYONE with Ewing's dies eventually - Is 5 years the limit and she has a 70-80% chance of making it, or is there a chance she can live another 30 or 40 years (she's only 27)? - Please Only Answer If You Really Know What You're Talking About!

Answer 1

No, what that means is that 5 years after diagnosis, 70-80% of patients are still alive.

If you haven't, here is a link to survivors, maybe you can listen to some of their stories for encouragement.

http://abc-survivors.net/

You have my deepest sympathies and I hope for nothing but the best for you and your wife. My mother died of cancer 45 years ago, and I still remember how much she suffered.

Answer 2

This means that in 5 years 70-80% of people diagnosed will still survive, a decent variable.

Tell your wife to add alternative therapies to her chemo and/or radiation. Shark cartiledge, and Co-Q 10 are helpful. She should see a nutritionist and and a alternative medicine practitioner to increase her chances of beating this. But let her oncologist know what she is doing.

My sister had only a 5% 5 year survival. She did alternative therapy along with mainstream chemo and radiation and has been cancer free for 12 years.

Be aware that Ewing's Sarcoma can be treated with amputation as a last resort. You don't specify the location of your wife's cancer, but if it is in a limb, this is a very real possibility ( and one that can be rectified with minimal impact in the long term.)

Best wishes. With more info I would have been more specific.

Answer 3

I'm sorry that your wife is ill. I don't know much about the disease, but I do know about statistics as I have two children with a terminal illness that will eventually cause them to have major organ transplants that will give them a specific survival rate which is longer than what they would have without the transplants. 5 year survival rate of 70 - 80% means that 70 - 80% of people at her stage in her illness can live 5 more years if they get the proper treatment. She CAN be an exception to the rule, there is nothing saying that she absolutely can't live longer, especially if she takes exceptionally good care of herself. Medical technology is changing fast and better treatments are always coming out as well. But, statistically and realistically speaking, that's what those numbers mean.

Answer 4

A survival rate is based on the statistics.
Statistically at the 5 year follow up point, the ewing's patients are 70-80% are still alive.
So what you really need to ask/look for is a 30 year survival rate...
And if so, look at the rate of recurrance, or lymphoma/leukemia the occurs secondary to the treatment she receives for the Ewing's.
There is a chance, when you look at percentiles.
You need to do some investigating when you compare the treatments she received to treat the Ewing's, where the Ewing's was located, etc....

Answer 5

It means that out of 100 people with Ewing's Sarcoma, that in 5 years, 70-80 of them would be alive. That is pretty good.

Ok, a friend of mines father was diagnosed with it, but he was very advanced, and was told he had about 6 months to live, he lived for 9 years. And died from a heart attack. So the doctors are not always right.

Advice- I don't know where you live, but if you live near a cancer center go there! What you can do, if you are far away go there for testing and diagnostics, they write up your treatment plan, then you can have it done locally.

Don't go to the local mickey mouse cancer centers, who may treat cancer but are not experts in their field. Go to a Sloane-Kettering or something, Get the best.

Fight your insurance company. A friend of mine did that, Sloane was not covered (his 4 yo had cancer) by the company and they rejected it, but he fought it and won. They covered all of his son's treatments.

Answer 6

What it means is that at 5 yrs 70-80 % of the sufferers are alive. She could live another 30-40 yrs I would guess yes. You need to not be intimidated by drs. When you both go to her appointments go armed with a list of questions in a note book carry a pen or pencil to jot down answers or additonal questions. Inquire if they will email your questions between appointments. Do not be afraid of drs. They are simply trained to provide you a service like the grocery clerk checks out your grocerys they just had lots of education. Please take care of yourself also. IT is difficult to become the care provider to your spouse. I know I lived thru three yrs of it my husband died 3.5 yrs ago he was considerably older and had not taken care of himself... it was cihroosis which is a slow form of susicide. they drink themselves to death.Check out the University MEdical schools for any treatments that might not be main stream treatments.. I am not sure about the actual survival rate at 5 yrs but if she can make it to 5 yrs of a remission they will consider her cancer free.. I wish you both the best luck.. And how I know what the phrase 5 yr survival rate is 70-80% is from having worked for a multi dr office for close to 6 yrs and being trained as a medical office assistant. BEST wishes... be wary of what you read on line there is a lot of trash out there... Web Md seems to be crediatable for the most part. Good luck to you both..

Answer 7

First, as you know, everyone dies.
The formula you have been given is an average. Anyone can fall below or beyond an average. New treatments develop all the time. A dear friend w/ a 2 year average is alive 4.5 years later and stable.
On the average, 70-80% of the people with this dease will still be alive in 5 years.
God's speed and please stick with her.

Answer 8

in 5 years out of 100 people with Ewing's 70-80 of them will still be alive. yes eventually they will pass on but so will everybody else without Ewing's also.

Answer 9

I'm pretty sure it means she has a 70-80% chance to survive past 5 years. I dont know if the percentage drops or raises after that.

Answer 10

It means exactly what it says. 5 years after diagnosis that percentage of people are still alive. It doesn’t mean they drop dead the following day or the following week nor does it mean they are cured. There is nothing about the 5 year survival rate that makes reference to what happens past the 5 year mark.