Cancer does not have to be a life sentence. Most cancers can be successfully treated when detected in early stages, while many people can live relatively normal lives for many years even with chronic cancers. Expectations are based not only on the type of cancer involved: identifying the rate of growth and the stage of the tumour are also crucial in defining the terms of your successful recovery.
Well-Differentiated vs. Undifferentiated
It is important to determine whether a tumour is well-differentiated or undifferentiated. Well-differentiated tumours, when examined under the microscope, appear similar to normal tissue found in the area in question, while undifferentiated tumours might not resemble surrounding tissue at all. Undifferentiated tumours tend to be more aggressive in nature; they grow faster and spread more readily. Although there are some exceptions, undifferentiated tumours carry a worse prognosis than well-differentiated tumours.
The TNM System
The TNM system is a widely used classification method for tumour staging. Having your cancer properly assessed will assist you and your naturopath or other health practitioner in developing a viable healing protocol.
For instance, a T2N0M0 breast cancer indicates a tumour 2 to 5cm in greatest dimension with no evidence of spread to lymph nodes and no signs of metastasis. This system is not used for every type of cancer, however, such as for lymphomas.
In most cases, you will more readily come across the more simplified stage markers -- stage I, II, III, and IV -- indicating progressively advancing stages of cancer. Not every type of cancer has the same criteria in each of the four stages, but most follow similar patterns. For example, stage IV, whether prostate or breast cancer, indicates the most advanced stage, which is normally marked by the presence of distant metastasis (T (any) N (any) M1).
"Survival Rate"
While researching and preparing strategies for cancer recovery, you will also come across the term "survival rate". This grossly outdated prognosis tool indicates the likelihood that you will live another five years with a certain cancer at a certain stage. Localized prostate cancer, for example, has a near perfect survival rate, while other cancers that have metastasized often carry rates that are more alarming.
Although survival rates may give you a general idea of the severity of your illness, they are merely wide-sweeping assessments -- they do not gauge who you are nor the strategies you plan on using to combat your disease. Furthermore, and rather ironically, the survival rate does not refer to your recovery or even health. Rather, they indicate whether you will be alive in five year's time, no matter how ill you are after those five years have elapsed (patients are not tracked after five years). You will have "survived" even if you are more ill than when you were diagnosed with the disease.
Although you should not ignore survival rates, be aware of two things: First, cancer is a slowly progressing disease, often taking more than five years to reach a more advanced stage. The purpose of cancer treatment, however, is not just to ensure that you live another five years. It should be based on restoring your total health and wellness, so that you may live cancer and disease-free for decades. Second, although percentages often discourage people, people are not percentages. There is no reason why you should not recover from cancer, no matter what the survival rates indicate.
