Cancer Discussions - December 1st, 2009 - 4 Comments
Why do doctors tell cancer patients that if they stay in remission past the 5 year mark that they are cured?
Why do doctors tell cancer patients this when in fact it is not true at all? It seems to me that most cancer patients relapse after 5 years.
Most patients do NOT relapse after 5 years, and most patients ARE cured if they have not had recurrence by then.
However, there are few safe "bets" with cancer. It can and does surprise all the time. I never tell patients they are "cured"- always use the words "probably" or "very likely" as adverbs to make a point- you can never be completely sure with some cancers. For instance, I have seen breast cancers and a kidney cancer come back >20 years (yes years) later. While it is always possible this arose from a new cancer, it was not evident.Many cancers, such as colorectal cancer, high-grade lymphomas, leukemia, stomach/esophagus, and lung rarely recur after 5 years. However, for many of these cancers, especially lung and head/neck cancers, the risk for new cancers of same area (usually due to smoking damage of affected organ) remains very high. New cancers become more and more common even as the risk of the old cancer coming back lessens.
Hope this helps
Blessings
They don’t. This is a myth passed by word of mouth and not by doctors. I have cancer and of course an array of doctors helping me out these past several years. Not one of them has ever mentioned the "magic 5 years" and not one of them has ever used the word "cure" in relation to cancer. There are, very sadly, no cures as yet for any cancer. Remission and even extended periods of remission, but no cure.
Add: Don’t like the message, shoot the messenger!
They don’t, unless it’s the case.
With some types of cancer, if the cancer hasn’t returned within 5 years, it’s not going to. Cervical cancer is an example. My friend was told after 5 years in remission from cervical cancer that she now had no more chance of getting cervical cancer than someone who had never had it – so I guess she can be considered ‘cured’.
With some other types of cancer this is not the case and cancer can return at any time, even years after diagnosis and treatment. Breast cancer is an example.
However, with breast cancer recurrences are most likely to happen within the first two years, and after 5 years the risk is considerably reduced and continues to decline with each passing year.
I have been in remission from breast cancer for over 5 years now, and no doctor has ever said the word ‘cured’ to me.
I don’t think iit’s the case that ‘most’ cancer patients have recurrences after 5 years.
Doctors do say you are cured if you have no symptoms after 5 years because you are supposed to have a several tests , the last being in 5 years, in which case, all being well, they consider you cured , and usually inform you of this should your results be clear.
Some say it is for statistical records.