How are cancer survival rates used?

You and your healthcare team might use survival statistics to:

• Understand your prognosis. The experiences of people in your same situation can give you and your healthcare team an idea of your prognosis. Prognosis is the chance that your cancer will be cured. Your prognosis also might be affected by other factors, such as age and general health. Your healthcare team uses these factors to help you understand the seriousness of your condition.

• Develop a treatment plan. Statistics also can show how people with your same cancer type and stage respond to treatment. You can use this information, along with your goals for treatment, to weigh the pros and cons of each treatment option.

  For instance, if two treatments give you similar chances for remission, but one has more side effects, you might choose the option with fewer side effects.

  In another example, a treatment may offer a chance for a cure, but only for one or two people out of every 100. For some, these chances are promising enough to put up with side effects. For others, the chance for a cure isn't worth the treatment's side effects.

  Your healthcare team can help you understand the benefits and risks of each treatment.