Cancer Statistics - September 1st, 2009 - 2 Comments
Which kind of common cancer has the best survival rate?
Other than basal cell skin cancer, what kind of common cancer has the best five year survival rate? Obviously no cancer is good, but who has better odds of survival, say someone diagnosed with early stage breast cancer or someone with early stage Hodgkin lymphoma? How about early stage melanoma or colon cancer? What percentage of people with say Hodgkin lymphoma die as opposed to percentage with say breast cancer or colon cancer or kidney cancer? I’m asking for a friend who is tired of being told Hodgkin lymphoma is "a good cancer to get." He thinks it’s really insulting.
I don’t know about the comment being insulting, but I’d think the person who said ANY kind of cancer is a good kind to get is a moron who has never been diagnosed with cancer.
Just sayin.
Your friend is right. To imply that one cancer is “better” to get than others is more than insulting.
Let me just say that when talking about cancer survival rates, it does not pertain to a particular person. Rather it refers to a group of people. Anyway I’ll indulge you and your friend just this once.
The highest 5-year survival rate is for prostate cancer which is at 98.8%. The lowest is not actually lung cancer which has a 15% survival rate. Pancreatic cancer has a 4% survival rate. By the way, Hodgkin’s has an 85.1% survival rate while breast cancer carries 86.4%.
Please tell your friend that if he encounters statements like this again, just disregard them. People who have no idea what they are talking about do not deserve any attention.