Survival Rates For Cervical Cancer
Death rates for cervical cancer have decreased significantly over the years, to be exact, it has dropped 74% from 1955 to 1992. Despite this, 9,000 women are still diagnosed with cervical cancer a year. The majority of these 9,000 women will live for a significant amount of time after diagnosis because it is very likely that the cancer was caught early. Survival rates for cervical cancer vary person to person, but there are some main key factors that doctors and sufferers can lean on. The main key factor is what stage the cancer is in. The stages for cancer are diagnosed by the severity of the cancer and where it is found. Your doctor will exam your cervix to find how deep the cancer is in your cervix and if and where it has spread. Once your doctor knows this information, then he or she will be able to determine your stage of cervical cancer. The first stage of cervical cancer cannot be seen by the naked eye, and it is easily removed with surgery. The survival rate is extremely high at 96 to 99 percent. Most diagnosis come back as stage 0 cancer thanks to regular pap smears and well known prevention strategies. Stage I is the second stage of cancer, and it also has a high survival rate at 80 to 90 percent. Stage I the cancer is Stage 0, but you can now see the cancer, while Stage 0 it is microscopic. Stage I cervical cancer is typically treated with chemotherapy and radiation. The next stage is Stage II cervical cancer, which basically means that cancer has spread to the uterus and adjacent tissue. The treatment for this stage does include surgery and just to be safe, doctors will use chemotherapy and radiation to ensure all abnormal cells are dead. The five year survival rate for Stage II cervical cancer is 65 to 69 percent. Stage III cervical cancer has a much lower survival rate, but also a lot less women reach this stage. The five year survival rate is 40 to 43 percent. In Stage III cervical cancer the cancer has spread into the vagina and to the pelvic wall. The treatment is chemotherapy and radiation. The last stage, Stage IV, is the rarest and most deadly of them all. The five survival rate sits at 15 to 20 percent, but if you compare that to other cancers the statistics are pretty good. By Stage IV the cervical cancer has now spread to other outside organs such as the liver, lungs, and to the bones as well. All doctors can do is a full body chemotherapy and radiation and hope for a miracle that it removes it all. While the stage of cervical cancer almost solely determines your survival rate, there are other factors. Other factors include you overall healthiness, your activity level, and how determined you are to live (if you’re a fighter). Always remember not to rely on statistics or what your doctor tells you because everyone is different, there are always exceptions. Do not underestimate yourself and never give up on living. If your can be more determined than the cancer calls, then you are sure to beat them.
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