Breast Cancer May Be Cured if Diagnosed and Treated Early
Cure rates are given in terms of 5- and 10-year survival rates; Stages I, II and III cancers weigh in at different percentages for years-of-life survival Is cancer cured? Or is cancer in remission? Distinguishing between cure and remission is important. A patient is considered in full remission when all symptoms of breast cancer are gone. After a patient has been free of symptoms for 5 or more years, some oncologists consider their patients cured. However, it is possible that some cancer cells may stay in the body for many years following treatment. American Cancer Society 2018 Statistics and Estimates The 5-year survival rate for most breast cancer cases diagnosed at the localized stage, i.e., not having spread to lymph nodes or other places outside of the breast, is estimated at 99 to 100%. This is Stage I. About 62% of all breast cancer cases are diagnosed at this stage. The 5-year survival rates for Stages II and III are estimated as follows: • Stage ...