19-30 hrs: This week marks six months since diagnosis with advanced lung cancer. 'Diagnosis' is not a very accurate point in time - especially as lung cancers are thought to develop over many years. I really cannot pinpoint a starting point, although I was first obviously ill in Wells - in June, and may have been feeling the effects a couple of months earlier.
So general survival figures are flawed, quite apart from other factors, such as differences according to the type of lung cancer, the stage of the cancer at diagnosis and variations according to social status. But they provide a framework for understanding. These from the Office of National Statistics - survival rates in England - diagnosed 2001 to 2006. All lung cancers - all stages.
Women - 60 to 69 -
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- one year survival = 35%
- five year survival = 11%
This from BMJ/Guardian for 2009:-
all ages / men and women - Non-small cell lung cancer - diagnosed at stage 4 (advanced)
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- five year survival = about 5%
Why am I telling you this? Because I have been thinking about death and survival - and I found general figures - eventually. Sites are a bit coy about putting lung cancer figures in the public domain - perhaps they confirm lung cancer as a cinderella cancer for death rates are much higher than other cancers.
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2 comments:
that means that 5 will survive for every 100, you're one of those aren't you? You're doing all the right things; I'm sure many of those diagnosed at stage 4 will not have been doing the right things (like giving up smoking)so that gives you a good chance of being in the 5%, right?!
Meemee - I really would like to believe you - thanks for making to point. xxx Lorna
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