Experts reviewing this article:
Li Tao, Deputy Director of the Radiotherapy Center of Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Director of the Department of Thoracic Radiotherapy
I believe many people have heard the “5-year survival rate”. 5 years is a hurdle for cancer patients. If it can cross 5 years, it is called “clinical cure”.
Simply put, “5-year survival rate” refers to the proportion of patients who survive for more than 5 years after comprehensive treatment for a certain tumor.
Why five years?
It is scientific to use the “5-year survival rate” to evaluate the long-term efficacy of tumor treatment, mainly because after comprehensive treatment of most tumors, some patients will experience recurrence, metastasis or resistance. medicine and even death.
For tumors that can be removed by radical surgery, about 80% of recurrence or metastasis events occur within 3 years after radical surgery, and about 10% occur within 3-5 years after radical surgery. If there is no recurrence and metastasis 5 years after radical resection, the risk and probability of recurrence are very low, and it can be considered as clinical cure (but it does not mean that there is no recurrence risk at all). Therefore, the “5-year survival rate” is often used to evaluate tumors. The efficacy of treatment is also easy to compare the differences in treatment efficacy between different countries and regions.
Actually, the “5-year survival rate” here includes the patient population (tumor-free survival or tumor-bearing survival) who has survived for more than 5 years regardless of recurrence and metastasis within 5 years.
In addition, the 3-year disease-free survival rate is also commonly used clinically to evaluate the therapeutic effect, which refers to the proportion of patients who have no recurrence and metastasis within 3 years after surgery and are still alive, because most recurrence and metastasis occur within 3 years. occurred during the year.
How did the tumor develop in the five years after diagnosis?
After a tumor is diagnosed, different stages, treatment methods and subsequent disease development are different.
For the earliest (stage I) tumors, such as lung cancer or bowel cancer, most of them are asymptomatic, and are often found by physical examination. In this case, surgery is the first choice for treatment. Stage I lung cancer and gastrointestinal tumors, usually do not need follow-up chemotherapy, regular review after surgery.
For stage II-III tumors, after the diagnosis, some patients can be directly operated, followed by adjuvant therapy such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and some patients need to undergo preoperative drug therapy or radiotherapy before the tumor shrinks After surgery, postoperative consolidation therapy was performed.
Regardless of the situation, regular review within 5 years is also required to prevent recurrence. Even if recurrence and metastasis occur, early detection and early treatment can be achieved.
For tumors that are initially diagnosed as advanced and inoperable, some patients can be converted to treatment with drugs or radiotherapy to achieve the standard of operation, and also have the opportunity to achieve radical cure, such as liver metastases from colorectal cancer, The current 5-year survival rate is 30%-40%. Other patients enter into the long-term maintenance control of drugs, while taking into account the quality of life of the patients, control the development of the tumor and prolong the survival time.
Is it possible to “lie down” in five years?
So, after 5 years, does it mean that you can sit back and relax?
The answer is no.
Because cancer cells may still exist after 5 years of cancer treatment, although the recurrence probability is low, it cannot be equivalent to a complete cure. Therefore, it is not ruled out that some cancers will still have a certain amount of cancer after 5 years. the possibility of recurrence and metastasis.
Even after the five-year survival period, cancer patients should insist on regular review once a year without long-term medication to prevent cancer recurrence, and to avoid double cancer in other organs, The possibility of triple cancer.
How to improve the five-year survival rate?
So, how can cancer patients improve their five-year survival rate?
1. Scientific and standardized treatment
Unfortunately, after being diagnosed with cancer, you cannot give up on yourself. You should choose a regular hospital and a doctor with rich clinical experience to formulate an appropriate personalized treatment plan.
In addition to traditional treatment methods, the current cancer treatment can be customized according to different cancer types, such as targeted therapy, endocrine therapy and other precise treatment methods, and more purposefully act on cancer cells. It will also get better.
2. Face it correctly and let go of the burden
You should have a correct view of cancer, learn more about common sense, establish an optimistic attitude, participate in more social activities, return to society, and increase your confidence in overcoming the disease.
3. Regular physical examinations
Cancer cells are easy to recur and metastasize, so you should pay more attention to your own symptoms. Pain, hoarseness and swollen lymph nodes, etc., should go to the hospital as soon as possible.
Even if there is no abnormality, it should be reviewed regularly, usually every 3 months in the first year after surgery, every 6 months in the second to third years, and every 1 year after 3 years Review 1 time.
4. Early screening, early detection, early treatment
The five-year survival rate of cancer is also closely related to the type of cancer. Generally speaking, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, colorectal cancer, and bladder cancer have higher five-year survival rates, while lung cancer, stomach cancer, and pancreatic cancer are more dangerous, and their five-year survival rates are correspondingly lower.
But even for cancers with a low five-year survival rate, the earlier the cancer is detected, the better the individual’s survival rate. Take gastric cancer as an example, its early five-year survival rate can reach 90%, and if it is advanced, it is only 20%.
5. Exercise properly to maintain a healthy weight
After the initial treatment, you should consult the attending doctor, and under the professional guidance of the doctor, develop an exercise plan, enhance physical training, and maintain health weight.
6. Pay attention to a healthy diet
Pay attention to a balanced diet and strengthen nutrition. Eat plenty of high-quality protein, vegetables (dark green, red, orange), fiber-rich soy products, full-color fruits (not juices), whole grains and whole grains, plant-based foods, and more.