How do you ignore statistics in order to stay positive?

I tell myself that most published statistics are based on older data. Plus you have to understand exactly what statistics are reporting -- if it's overall survival, it includes death from other causes. And since lots of BC patients are older (in their 60s and 70s and 80s) they are going to die of something soonish, anyway. We are all going to die of something eventually.

But, in terms of BC, treatment improves our "odds" dramatically, and I did everything I could.

Even when the odds are scary, they tend to be favorable (I think I've seen that Stage 3 patients have 75 percent survival.)

Finally, I look at the most recent stats provided by the government and see that in the U.S. only about 20 percent of women ever diagnosed with BC actually die from it. And this number includes people who had metastatic cases at diagnosis; who refused all treatment; etc.

My approach is to get the best treatment available, make any lifestyle changes that help lower recurrence risk, and hope for the best! 

Claire,  don't let the stats get to you. There's a great little book called "How to Lie with Statistics" - I think it's about 100 pages. If you like to read and you want to get a handle on the stats - get that one. It explains how numbers can be manipulated. PLUS, whomever is doing the report or study gets to set it up their way - they come up with the questions to be answered, and they get to come up with the population to study, so they can somewhat direct the outcome of the study. PLUS, and this one is huge, when you're reading a study find out who did it, how long it's taken from start to finish, and most importantly who paid for the study. Most likely, for a book that was published in 2004, the data used was at least 12 months old if not even older and a lot has changed since that time.

Old, old, old statistics.  A book released in 2004 would be measuring women who were treated prior to either taxanes or even hormonal therapy being the standard of care.  So much better now.

MD Anderson has a page that shows dramatic increases in survival among patients with regional breast cancer.  These are improving all the time.

Reminder that 10 year survival measures the effectiveness of treatment ten years ago. 

I took a different approach in looking at my chances.  I am in a treatment study which is based on earlier work.  Survival stats among both groups in the earlier study were about 10 points higher than for the high risk population as a whole.

What I realized was that patients in both treatment groups could only be measured IF THEY HAD COMPLETED ALL THERAPY.  Otherwise, they weren't counted.

If you look at Cancer Math, I think you will get a very different picture than from the book that was written almost ten years ago.

As for what your husband can do, I would advise sex and lots of cuddling.  Both work just great with mood.  Plus keeping you in flowers and doing little things that count.

Anyway, please don't get discouraged.  Treatment isn't any fun, but well worth it.  You do recover, and life continues.  In many ways, mine is better than ever!!!

Good luck, and for heaven's sake, work with current information. - Claire

Claire - I liked Cancer Math,,,thank you

Oh and I would not even look at 2004 statistics, they would be very outdated!

clairinaz - don't turn away from that lifestyle!  I was very active and continued to the best of my abilities throughout treatment.  Ofcourse there were times when I was just too sick or weak to keep going, but it comes back.  I compete on in women's dragon boating at a national level (port and all!) - being diagnosed with BC just meant that I switched teams....these ladies are even more hard core!  I am about 8 mths PFC, and still receiving Herceptin every 21 days.

claire

big hugs....ditto what everyone said..

The best thing you can do now is keep living your life. You have a plan, you know what to do.  

 Once I had a plan, I stopped reading. things change almost every day in breast cancer and generallly for the good.  

I was in good health going in to chemo-I did stop exercising during my 8 weeks of chemo, mostly because I decided to give myself a break.  But once radiation started, I started the elliptical trainer, walking, etc and it really helped me with the fatigue.  I worked full time through treatment and definitely felt the benefits of exercise.

I can tell you, almost 3 years out, that I rarely worry about recurrence.....I know it is possible, but I have just decided that it won't happen to me.... arrogant, I know, but it works for me.  And, if it ever does, I console myself with the fact that I now have an army of doctors to rely on to get through it.

What you are feeling is normal right now because you are right in the middle of it... it is hard to escape it since it is on your mind every minute.  I promise you, there will come a day when that is not true.

I have a jaded view of it all....When I stopped the AI's after 3 1/2 years, I threw the statistics in the garbage....to me its 100%....kind of like being pregnant..either you are or you aren't....as long as I am NED, its 100% that its not back....I figure it will or it won't progress.....and right now as much as BC has changed my life, I'm cancer free...not the person who I was before BC, but not in Tx and cancer free.....

Claire, Welcome to the club that none of us whats to be a part of! You are in the early stages when you are learning so much and everything is scaring you to death. It will get easier as time goes by. You will have your good days and bad. Like you, I eat right and exercise. One of the healthiest people that I know. I got it 10 months ago at the age of 40. 9 months later I ran my first half marathon and kicked cancers ass:). I time was great too! I did have a BMX with reconstruction and it was hard. I worked out as much as I could before surgery. Then I took time off to recover. As soon as I was up to it I started walking. Then walking turned into running. I was able to start yoga 4 months after my surgery, but was able to walk with-in 4 weeks. I started strength training at 6 months out. Now I am almost back to doing everything from before. You can do this.

Hugs,

Eula 

Hi Claireinaz,

I don't read stats. Never had, never will. The way I figure it: if I beat them, I'll be too busy celebrating. If I don't: well, we all know what that movie looks like.

J

I agree with what everyone has said about stats.  It is just like pollsters they phrase questions so that the answers suit their desired results.  I've learned lots of things since being DX'ed.   This is scary.  The unknown and unpredictable is hard for me.  I want to be in control and I'm not.

However, the lastest percentage I heard from an oncologist was around 17%. 

I refuse to even consider that a possibility for me. 

Here's another way to lessen your stress about the cancer stats: remember that heart attacks kill more women than all cancers combined -- or something like that. in other words, worry more about your heart health before consuming yourself in fret about cancer. After age 50, we are much more likely to keel over from heart failure than to have more cancer problems. Hey, isn't that a comfort?

I had stage III ILC with multiple nodes +. Came through treatment (chemo TAC 6x and Radiation 30+), and am holding AOK after 3 years. The pain that was in my chest for years that all my docs said was not cancer (WRONG!) was, in fact cancer, and is still there,  increasing in pain level after I thought it would be gone post mastectomy.  Hoping it is just a result of the radiation and scar tissue. Every day I wonder if my life is going to be a short one from here (is the pain an indication of more cancer?), or whether the low grade pain will just be present for the next 40 or so years (I am 55). Bottom line is that life is a crapshoot at any age; no guarantees one way or the other. I live my life with one foot on the short side of the stick, and the other one on the other side....and plan for both. A car crash or heart attack could take any of our lives later tonight.... or, God may grant us decades more to outlive all our friends and family. Just do what you can do today, as if every day is your last day.... and be prepared to outlive everyone you know. I bought a set of notecards recently that say it all perfectly:  Tomorrow is the future; Yesterday is the past; Today is a Gift; That is why it is called the PRESENT. Cancer brings that so close to home!!! Lose the stress; just try to live a healthy life and forget cancer as much as possible. Every day I can get up, take my shower, put on my clothes, and head out the door to do daily errands, etc. is a day I give thanks for. There may be a day out there I will be confined to bed, or can't get up, .... but until that day comes, my life is MINE. Own it! Count every single day as a huge gift, and use each day to its fullest. There WILL come a day when our lives will be taken from us --- from cancer or from something else. So if you are going to stress, don't just stress about cancer ---- stress about ALL forms of potential disease and maladies and accidents. Cancer is just one of the potentials...don't give it more power than that. That's my two cents at this ten o'clock hour. Must go get my sleep now so I can have a GREAT day tomorrow. Best to you!!