Upon being diagnosed with astrocytoma, patients want to know about their prognosis, and often ask about the survival rate for their malignancy. When discussing the survival rate for astrocytoma, individuals should remember that the statistics are based on data based on hundreds or thousands of patients. There are numerous factors that influence’s each individual patient’s prognosis, including the stage of their cancer at diagnosis, their overall health, the kind of treatment they receive and more. Therefore, the astrocytoma survival rate cannot be used to predict the prognosis for an individual patient, and should only be used to discuss outcomes for patients with this malignancy on a large scale.
What do cancer survival rates really mean?
The survival rate for any particular type of cancer is presented as the percentage of patients who are still living past a certain number of years following their initial diagnosis. So, the five-year survival rate for astrocytoma reflects the percentage of patients who survived at least five years after being diagnosed with astrocytoma.
Other factors to consider about the astrocytoma survival rate
As cancer research and treatment advance, experts believe the survival rates will continue to improve as well. For example, patients being diagnosed with astrocytoma today are expected to have a better prognosis than the current survival rate. This is because the treatments that current patients are receiving are often more advanced than the treatments received by those whom the current survival rate is based on.
While there are many factors outside your control as a cancer patient, there are several lifestyle factors than can increase a patient’s chance of achieving a favorable outcome. Throughout their treatment, patients with astrocytoma should:
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet
- Continue to exercise, if possible
- Avoid tobacco use
If you would like to speak with an expert at Moffitt about the astrocytoma survival rate, you can request an appointment by calling 1-888-663-3488 or submitting a new patient registration form online. Referrals are not required.
