Cancer- Survival after Surgery
Stomach Cancer- Prognosis and Life Expectancy
Survival rates may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.
Summary: 60 Second Read
Overview
Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time (usually 5 years) after they were diagnosed. They can’t tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.
Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they can’t predict what will happen in any particular person’s case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Talk with your doctor about how these numbers may apply to you, as he or she is familiar with your situation.
What is a 5-year relative survival rate?
A relative survival rate compares people with the same type and stage of cancer to people in the overall population. For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of stomach cancer is 70%, it means that people who have that cancer are, on average, about 70% as likely as people who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.
What is the 5 year survival rate of stomach cancer?
Stomach cancer is the second-most common cancer among men and third-most among females in Asia and worldwide.(source) The symptoms and sign of the stomach cancer are often reported late when the disease is already in advanced stages and 5-year survival is less than 30% in developed countries and around 20% in developing countries.(source)
The survival rate for stomach cancer in India is 20% (source)
Understanding the numbers
- These numbers apply only to the stage of the cancer when it is first diagnosed. They do not apply later on if the cancer grows, spreads, or comes back after treatment.
- These numbers don’t take everything into account. Survival rates are grouped based on how far the cancer has spread, but your age and overall health, how well the cancer responds to treatment, and other factors can also affect your outlook.
- People now being diagnosed with stomach cancer may have a better outlook than these numbers show. Treatments improve over time, and these numbers are based on people who were diagnosed and treated at least five years earlier.
A word from us
While these percentages may give you an idea of you or your loved one's stomach cancer prognosis, be sure to discuss your unique situation with your doctor. Ask lots of questions and do not hesitate to inquire about more complex or sensitive issues as well, such as healing from surgery, side effects of chemotherapy, pain management, or what happens if you do not get treatment.
Reference
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3124986/
- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomach-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1420858/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3397601/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5590015/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21731210/
