Surviving Cancer
Frequently Asked Questions
3. What factors influence cancer survival and recovery?
Cancer survival and recovery varies considerably by the type of cancer and the stage of diagnosis. Staging describes the extent or severity of an individual's cancer. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan a person's treatment and estimate their chance of recovery and recurrence.
For example, more than 85 percent of adults with breast, prostate, and skin cancers live at least five years beyond their diagnosis. More than half of people diagnosed with leukemia, a type of blood cancer, live at least five years beyond their diagnosis. A few cancers, such as liver and pancreatic cancer, have low survival rates regardless of the stage at diagnosis.
