What is the life expectancy after chemotherapy?

During the 3 decades, the proportion of survivors treated with chemotherapy alone increased from 18% in 1970-1979 to 54% in 1990-1999, and the life expectancy gap in this chemotherapy-alone group decreased from 11.0 years (95% UI, 9.0-13.1 years) to 6.0 years (95% UI, 4.5-7.6 years).
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Can you live a long life after cancer?

Yes, it is possible to have a long life with cancer. Yes, it is possible to have a long life with cancer. Though being diagnosed with cancer is still presumed as a death sentence, most cancers are treatable. Millions of people with cancer are living in the United States.
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How long do people live after having chemotherapy?

Patients who died under palliative care service had longer median survival (120 days) after last chemotherapy as compared to other patients [120 and 43 days respectively, P < 0.001, Figure 2].
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How long can chemo prolong life?

For most cancers where palliative chemotherapy is used, this number ranges from 3-12 months. The longer the response, the longer you can expect to live.
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What percentage of chemo patients survive?

The survival rate for those diagnosed in stages 1-3 is near 100% and about 71% for stage 4. The five-year survival rate is 90% for medullary carcinoma and 7% for anaplastic carcinoma.
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How long will the cancer patient survive? Is Chemotherapy mandatory for cancer? - Dr. Sandeep Nayak



Does 5 year survival rate mean you have 5 years to live?

Most importantly, five-year survival doesn't mean you will only live five years. Instead it relates to the percentage of people in research studies who were still alive five years after diagnosis.
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How many rounds of chemo is normal?

During a course of treatment, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. A cycle is the time between one round of treatment until the start of the next. After each round of treatment you have a break, to allow your body to recover.
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Does chemo shorten lifespan?

During the 3 decades, the proportion of survivors treated with chemotherapy alone increased from 18% in 1970-1979 to 54% in 1990-1999, and the life expectancy gap in this chemotherapy-alone group decreased from 11.0 years (95% UI, 9.0-13.1 years) to 6.0 years (95% UI, 4.5-7.6 years).
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How do doctors know how long you have left to live?

There are numerous measures – such as medical tests, physical exams and the patient's history – that can also be used to produce a statistical likelihood of surviving a specific length of time.
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Can chemo help you live longer?

First-line chemotherapy for patients with non–small cell lung cancer improves survival by 2 to 3 months, relieves symptoms, and improves quality of life compared with best supportive care.
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Which cancers have the best survival rate?

The cancers with the highest 5-year relative survival rates include melanoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and breast, prostate, testicular, cervical, and thyroid cancer. Cancer is a disease that causes cells to grow and multiply uncontrollably in certain parts of the body.
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What happens after 5 year survival rate?

Cancer survival rates often use a five-year survival rate. That doesn't mean cancer can't recur beyond five years. Certain cancers can recur many years after first being found and treated. For some cancers, if it has not recurred by five years after initial diagnosis, the chance of a later recurrence is very small.
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Does cancer shorten lifespan?

For all types of cancer, life expectancy was decreased by an average of 10.4 years, or 17.1 percent, ranging from 4.0 years (6.0 percent) for kidney cancer survivors to about 17.8 years (28.0 percent) for brain and bone tumor survivors.
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Do you ever fully recover from cancer?

Remission can be partial or complete. In a complete remission, all signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared. If you remain in complete remission for 5 years or more, some doctors may say that you are cured. Still, some cancer cells can remain in your body for many years after treatment.
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Do oncologists lie about prognosis?

Many have fulminated against oncologists who lie to patients about their prognoses, but sometimes cancer doctors lie for or with patients to improve our chances of survival.
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What are the signs of last days of life?

End-of-Life Signs: The Final Days and Hours
  • Breathing difficulties. Patients may go long periods without breathing, followed by quick breaths. ...
  • Drop in body temperature and blood pressure. ...
  • Less desire for food or drink. ...
  • Changes in sleeping patterns. ...
  • Confusion or withdraw.
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How often are oncologists wrong?

Seventy-four percent (n = 63) of patient-recalled oncologist life-expectancy estimates were accurate to within a year (i.e., ±12 months of actual survival), 57% (n = 48) were accurate to within 6 months, and 26% (n = 22) were accurate to within 3 months (Table 1).
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Is it worth having chemotherapy?

The main benefit of chemotherapy is its potential to destroy cancer cells. It remains one of the most potent tools we have to fight cancer. The potential benefit to each patient depends on treatment goals, which depend on the type of cancer, how advanced it is and what the patient hopes to get out of treatment.
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What are the long term side effects of chemotherapy?

What Are the Long-Term Side Effects of Chemotherapy?
  • Cognitive difficulties.
  • Hearing problems.
  • Heart problems.
  • Increased risk of blood cancers.
  • Lung problems.
  • Nerve damage.
  • Reproductive changes.
  • Duration.
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What damage does chemotherapy do to the body?

Some chemo drugs can damage cells in the heart, kidneys, bladder, lungs, and nervous system. Sometimes, you can take medicines with the chemo to help protect your body's normal cells. There are also treatments to help relieve side effects.
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How do you know if chemo is killing you?

Here are some signs that chemotherapy may not be working as well as expected: tumors aren't shrinking. new tumors keep forming. cancer is spreading to new areas.
...
Along the way, the timeline may have to be adjusted due to:
  1. low blood counts.
  2. adverse effects to major organs.
  3. severe side effects.
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Which is harder on the body chemo or radiation?

Since radiation therapy is focused on one area of your body, you may experience fewer side effects than with chemotherapy. However, it may still affect healthy cells in your body.
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What happens after your last chemo treatment?

Nausea, vomiting, and taste changes

You may experience nausea (feeling like you might throw up) and vomiting (throwing up) after your last chemotherapy treatment. It should go away in 2 to 3 weeks. Your appetite may continue to be affected due to taste changes you may have experienced during your treatment.
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