Can I Survive Uterine Sarcoma?
A prognosis is a statement about your prospect of surviving and recovering from cancer. It may be hard to ask, “Can I survive this?” But it’s a question you’re likely to have when you learn you have uterine cancer. Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy answer.
Your chance of recovery depends on these things.
- The type of your cancer
- The extent which the cancer had spread (stage)
- Your age
- Your general health
- How you respond to treatment
Before discussing your prognosis with you, your doctor will consider all the things that could affect your disease and treatment. Your doctor will then predict what seems likely to happen. To do that, the doctor will look at what researchers have found out over many years about thousands of women with uterine cancer. When possible, the doctor will make a prediction based on statistics for women whose situations are most like yours.
If your cancer is likely to respond well to treatment, your doctor will say you have a favorable prognosis. If the cancer is likely to be hard to control, your prognosis may be unfavorable. It is important to keep in mind, though, that a prognosis states what is probable. It is not a prediction of what will happen. No doctor can be absolutely certain about the outcome.
You may find it easier to cope if you know your prognosis and the statistics for how well a treatment might work. On the other hand, you might find statistics confusing and frightening. Or you might think they are too general to be useful. The doctor who is most familiar with your situation is in the best position to discuss your prognosis with you. He or she can explain what the statistics may mean for you. At the same time, you should keep in mind that your prognosis may change. A favorable prognosis can change if the cancer progresses or returns. An unfavorable one can change if treatment is successful. The decision to ask about your prognosis is a personal one. It is up to you to decide how much you want to know.
What Does the 5-Year Survival Rate for Uterine Cancer Mean?
Survival rates show the percentage of women who live for a specific length of time after their doctor finds the cancer. The rates are specific to women with a certain type and stage of cancer. Often, statistics refer to the 5-year survival rate. That’s the percentage of women who are living 5 years after diagnosis. These are the women it includes.
- Women who are free of disease
- Women who have few or no signs or symptoms of cancer
- Women who are being treated for cancer
Many women included in the 5-year rate live much longer than 5 years. Also, because the statistic is based on women diagnosed 5 or more years ago, it’s possible the outlook could be better today. Women who are more recently diagnosed often have a more favorable outlook. That’s because of changes in the way cancer is treated. Survival rates are based on large groups of women. They cannot be used to predict what will happen to a particular woman. No 2 women are exactly alike, and treatment and responses to treatment vary greatly.
What Are Survival Rates for Women With Uterine Sarcoma?
How well treatment works for women with uterine sarcoma depends on the type, grade, and stage of cancer. Uterine sarcoma can be difficult to treat. This is because it may not be found until after it has already begun to spread. Unfortunately, that means survival rates are lower than for other cancers such as endometrial carcinoma.
These are the facts according to National Cancer Institute.
- The 5-year survival rate for women whose cancer is found before it has spread outside the uterus is about 50%.
- The 5-year survival rate for women whose cancer is found after it has spread outside the uterus ranges from 0% to 20%.
Many doctors encourage a woman with uterine sarcoma to take part in a clinical trial. They hope to find better ways to treat this form of cancer. You may benefit from their research.
