How accurate are cancer prognoses?

When doctors talk about a cancer patient's prognosis, they are predicting how likely it is that a cancer patient will recover from the disease or that the disease will return.

Doctors consider many factors when making a cancer prognosis. Some important factors are the patient's type of cancer, where the cancer is in the body, whether the disease has spread, how abnormal the cancer cells look, and how quickly the cancer is likely to grow and spread. Other factors include the patient's age and general health and how the patient responds to treatment.

When possible, doctors also look at statistics about large groups of people whose medical situations are similar to the individual patient's. Statistical information is collected over many years.

Doctors speak of a favorable prognosis if the cancer is likely to respond well to treatment. The prognosis may be unfavorable if the cancer is likely to be difficult to control.

However, it is important to remember that a prognosis is only a prediction. Doctors cannot be certain about what will happen with any individual patient. In fact, a patient's prognosis may change over time, especially if treatment is successful.

Some cancer patients find it easier to cope with their disease if they know as much as possible. Others find a lot of information confusing, frightening, and impersonal. It is up to patients to decide how much they want to know.

For more information on understanding a cancer prognosis, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER.

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