How Statistical Models And Causal Inferences Affect Survival Rates Of Cancer

By Rita Dalian

There are differences in the length of life expectancy figures after diagnosis of cancer. In general countries tend not to discuss the results as life expectancy because causal factors such as the environment and lifestyle have an impact on the results. Life styles are important indicators of general health but the US fares badly in lifestyle comparisons when compared to other countries partly because of their obesity levels across all ages and races. US health authorities prefer to look at the statistical figures as cancer survival statistics because there they look better.

However health care has a multidimensional aspect and quantitative analysis type that produces statistics and comparison. In order to have a meaningful comparisons you have to compare like from like and yet those comparisons are not always possible. Less people smoke statistically in the US, but they are morel likely to be obese. If raw comparisons are going to be made it may be better to look at life expectancy rather than survival rates.

One of the very first questions people ask when first diagnosed with cancer is about their prognosis, and the question they are really asking is how long are they statistically going to survive for? Cancer survival rates or statistics predict the percentage of people who survive a certain type of cancer for a specified number of years. These figures are compiled from national statistics of people from all ages and backgrounds that have your type of cancer and they use a five-year survival rate as the first bench mark. They include those that were diagnosed early and those that the diagnosis was not made until the late stages of cancer.

However statistics of cancer survival are not telling you everything, for instance the five year survival rates do not specify whether the patients are in remission or whether or not they are still receiving treatment. Some patients have a disease free survival rates which means that their cancer has been cures. Others have had some success with treatment but they are not free of the disease.

A nature of any statistic, is the fact that they are predicting a probability in the population at large, therefore thousands and thousands of people have to be studied, but that does not have any bearing on your individual prognosis. Both you are your neighbor can have breast cancer or prostate cancer and they can both be in the same stage at the same time. However that does not meant that your prognosis is in any way the same.

Genetic factors, lifestyle changes, a positive attitude, an ability and willingness to look at new treatments and be open about the outcome will all have a profound defect on your chances of beating cancer. It is just that no more no less a statistic and for that reason may people choose to successfully ignore cancer survival statistics, because there is no reason at all that they should have any bearing on your outcome.

About the Author:

As isolated as you may feel right now, you are not alone. Cancer diagnosis is no longer the end of the story. Cancer survivors prove every day that this can be the beginning of a whole new positive chapter in your life. Join our unique community of cancer survivors to be right now and receive a FREE report on Cancer Survivor's tips.

Survival Rates For Cancer

By Rita Goldman

Cancer survival rates varies according to whatever type of cancer you have and also the stage that it is diagnosed. One of the worst cancer statistics anywhere in the world is lung cancer. Published 5-year survival for patients with lung cancer varies from 5% to 16% internationally. One of the reasons that the cancer survival rates differ so widely is the fact that the statistical information is not always in the public domain, and each individual study collects and interprets the data differently according to the abstract of the study. In other words each cancer statistic is as unique as you are. Data from the US indicates a 5-year survival rate of up to 16% although this figure cannot be relied on because it excludes seventy five percent of the population, so as a statistic it does not apply to the population as a whole. To make a real comparison of mortality rates for cancer survival rates is no different from making valid statistical evidence in any other disease, the data has to have been collected and examined in the same way. ( Respiratory Medicine, Volume 100, Issue 9, Pages 1642-1646 C. Butler, K. Darragh, G. Currie, W. Anderson, Respiratory Medicine, Volume 100, Issue 9, Pages 1642-1646). Being frightened by statistics or even worse believing statistics can affect how you survive or not your cancer.

Changing the Face of Cancer Survival Statistics

Statistics come down to risks at the end of the day and your risk of getting a killer disease--cancer. In the United States the statistics for lung cancer reveal that it kills more people than those that die from breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer and cervical cancer combined. However that is due to the fact that there is widespread screening beyond a certain age for prostrate, breast and cervical cancer.

The New England Journal of Medicine of October 26, 2006 reported that eighty percent of deaths from lung cancer were possibly avoided. Spiral computed tomography (CT) scanning has the potential to detect lung cancer at its early stage 1 stage, at this stage it is a curable cancer. The reason that the mortality rates for lung cancer are so bleak is the fact that by the time most people realize that they have lung cancer it is too far advanced to do anything about it. The initial study was carried out at the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center during 1993 and has subsequently expanded into an international study of 38 institutions in 7 countries and become known as the International Early Lung Cancer Action Project (I-ELCAP).

Surgery is effective in curing lung cancer its stage 1, later it is too advanced to make much difference and the reason that the cancer rate survival statistics are so dismal is the fact that it is rarely diagnosed at stage 1. Later studies from 1993 to 2005 in the United States, Europe, Israel, China, and Japan screened 31,567 asymptomatic persons at high risk for lung followed by repeat screenings in 27,456 of these individuals. 484 people were diagnosed with lung cancer, and 412 or 85% of these were Stage I. Of the 412 patients with stage I lung cancer, 302 underwent surgical solutions within four weeks and within this group, the survival rate was 92%. The estimated 10 year survival rate for the 484 participants with lung cancer was over 80 percent that is the highest percentage for survival ever recorded in a lung cancer study. In contrast the statistical cancer five year survival rates for stage IV lung cancer can be as low as 5%.

Some chose not to receive treatment and all these people were dead within five years. All the participants were at risk of lung cancer as they were all older than forty and either they smoked or had smoked or they were exposed to known carcinogenic substances such as asbestos, uranium, radon or beryllium, uranium or radon, or they had occupations which exposed them to passive smoking. As with anything else the cost effectiveness of the screening has to be measured against the cost of treatment. It costs twice as much to treat lung cancer in its late stages than it does for stage 1 treatment. The charge for a low dose CT screening scan is between $200 - $300. New technology has made the screening more effective because when CT was new it was only capable of yielding thirty images now over 600 are possible.

To a certain degree there is resistance to scanning lung cancer because often it is not considered as a disease but as a reprimand or retribution. Also there is little consensus as to what constitutes a high risk population, because although it has been known for a century that smoking contributes to lung cancer, by no means all smokers develop lung cancer. Better genetic pointers will be available in the future and that will make it easier to predict exactly those at risk and that will make the possibility of screening more likely.

About the Author:

As isolated as you may feel right now, you are not alone. Cancer diagnosis is no longer the end of the story. Cancer survivors prove every day that this can be the beginning of a whole new positive chapter in your life. Join our unique community of cancer survivors to be right now and receive a FREE report on Cancer Survivor's tips.

Guard Your Loved Ones Against The Carbon Monoxide Threat By Installing A Carbon Monoxide Alarm

By Xavier Toolhausens

Because it has no taste, has no smell and colorless, it is not possible for a person to know if there are high levels of carbon monoxide in the air. That said, all urban areas have some carbon monoxide pollution, and it has even caused fatalities in the home. Almost two hundred people die in the United States Of America annually from carbon monoxide from consumer products.

The toxic gas does occur naturally in the air but the majority of pollution in cities is comes from cars and other vehicles, as well as the burning of certain fuels. In the home, carbon monoxide poisoning is normally caused by poorly maintained heating equipment, cooking appliances and furnaces.

Carbon monoxide gas is commonly utilized in industry in the production of chemicals and also in the meat industry and the production of medicines. Although carbon monoxide levels in the air are a concern in cities, it is in the home where the real hazards lie. And although fatalities are rare, over-exposure to carbon monoxide can cause serious health problems.

Early symptoms of poisoning include headaches, fatigue and nausea, and can often be mistaken for flu. In more extreme cases these symptoms can develop to dizziness, convulsions, respiratory problems and even death.

Because of this, it is vital to know when there is excessive carbon monoxide in your home and it could be wise to invest in a carbon monoxide sensor, also known as a CO detector. They are normally installed in the home near potentially hazardous appliances, such as furnaces. When carbon monoxide levels are excessive an alarm sounds, allowing occupants to the opportunity to vacate the building and ventilate it fully until it is safe to re-enter.

Carbon monoxide sensors are similar in appearance and function to smoke alarms and can be found for about the $30-50 mark

If your carbon monoxide sensor goes off, the first thing you should do is check that nobody in the home is experiencing any of the warning signs of poisoning. If so, get them out of the house as soon as possible and contact a doctor.

Equally important however is a good knowledge of the hazards associated with carbon monoxide. With some basic precautions you can protect your family and your home:

* Make sure all fuel-burning equipment like heaters and boilers are maintained and cleaned before every winter. Your chimneys and vents need to be cleaned too. If any of the equipment isn't functioning properly it must be repaired or replaced.

* Be careful while utilizing kerosene or gas space heaters in the home. These should never be used in a room without proper ventilation.

* Do not use a gas oven to heat your house and do not run gas-powered appliances, such as generators, indoors.

* Do not leave your vehicle running in a closed garage.

About the Author:

Xavier Toolhausens is a independent journalist with over 10 years writing experience. Xavier is consulting as a technical writer for our b2b site and is considered the company expert on carbon monoxide detectors. Take the time to visit our very useful website for more information on Carbon Monoxide Alarm and CO Detectors.