Beckster wrote:My oncologist from MDA is using the surgery date as the beginning of my 5 year countdown. Surgery was November 2016. Even though I finished chemo in June of 2017, he has me at the end of 3 years NED as November 2019.
CRguy wrote:Not to throw a monkey wrench into this discussion topic
( we have had this discussion a few times over the years )
AND various centers and studies will have SPECIFIC definitions of their "survivor" terms and conditions when publishing stats etc.
BUTT .... you just KNOW there is at least one !!!! I offer the following :
1. CRC tumors tend to be slower growing ... SO when diagnosed you have probably been surviving with having cancer for at least a few years
2. diagnosis, whether by confirmed pathology from a biopsy or surgery, imaging, clinical "impression" gives a starting point from which most folks would agree "You have THIS and you are surviving with it."
3. Surgical removal of tumor = cancer is gone, so now you are surviving this stuff.
4. During chemo, chemo/rad and other modalities given prior to surgical tumor removal = we know you have this BUTT ...
NOW you are surviving during this whole process
5. diagnosis, chemo, chemo/rad, surgery, healing, NED = all done / good to go = you are now surviving AFTER the whole process
personally, my take is with the date of confirmed diagnosis ...you KNOW you have cancer and moving forward
EVERYTHING you do ...IS as a SURVIVOR.
Prior to a diagnosis you are a patient who may have suffered some minor-major issues.
AFTER a definitive diagnosis you ARE A CANCER SURVIOR !!!
JMO.
I do see the rationale of using a curative surgery date, where one exists ... BUTT ...
there are many folks who do not get to curative surgeries and still survive,
many who go through all kinds of treatments and still survive.
BUTT .... BUTT ...
everyone I have known, HAS had a diagnosis date
again JMO
Cheers all
CRguy on the Journey
Still surviving as best I can
HARMONY !
boxhill wrote:I think that "survival" has to be from day of diagnosis. Which is totally different from "progression-free survival" or "NED" or whatever. None of the other alternatives suggested really make any sense. It can't be surgery, since some people have treatment with chemo and/or radiation before having surgery--or never have surgery--and yet they are definitely "surviving." End of chemo makes no sense since some people never get off of chemo, or never have chemo and yet they are "surviving."
For me, diagnosis day is the same as surgery day, so that's easy. I've been "surviving" since 3/17/18 so far. Luck of the almost-half Irish.
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