USA

Written by Administrator

Thursday, 25 May 2006

Myeloma is a relatively uncommon cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 16,570 new cases of multiple myeloma (9,250 in men and 7,320 in women) will be diagnosed during 2006. About 11,310 Americans (5,680 men and 5,630 women) are expected to die of multiple myeloma in 2006. The 5-year relative survival rate for multiple myeloma is around 32%. Survival is higher in younger people and lower in the elderly. Of course, 5-year survival rates are based on patients diagnosed and initially treated more than 5 years ago. Recent improvements in treatment often result in a more favorable outlook for recently diagnosed patients. The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Five-year survival rates are used to produce a standard way of discussing prognosis. Of course, many people live much longer than 5 years. Five-year relative survival rates exclude patients dying of other diseases. This means that anyone who died of another cause, such as heart disease, is not counted.

Last Updated ( Friday, 26 May 2006 )

 

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