When do you start counting

carney
carney Member Posts: 5
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
When do you start counting when you find out you have cancer. Is it from the day to are told or from the day all of your procedures are completed.

Comments

  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    I don't know why it would matter, but in here the general practice seems to be to say that you have had cancer since the date of diagnosis.

    Hope that helps.

    Take care.
  • carney
    carney Member Posts: 5

    I don't know why it would matter, but in here the general practice seems to be to say that you have had cancer since the date of diagnosis.

    Hope that helps.

    Take care.

    Soccerfreaks
    Thanks for your response. I agree with you on why would it matter. I also believe that one will always have cancer, so when I read that I am cancer free for x# of years I do not understand when they started to count. Are we ever cured,or are we waiting for the next report from the Dr. I try to have a up beat state of mind but it is very hard, at times this message board makes me cry.
  • TereB
    TereB Member Posts: 286 Member
    carney said:

    Soccerfreaks
    Thanks for your response. I agree with you on why would it matter. I also believe that one will always have cancer, so when I read that I am cancer free for x# of years I do not understand when they started to count. Are we ever cured,or are we waiting for the next report from the Dr. I try to have a up beat state of mind but it is very hard, at times this message board makes me cry.

    Being cancer free is after you have finished treatment and you go for follow up tests and those tests do not show cancer anywhere. Usually you are declared cancer free after five years of good tests results.

    It is possible to have cancer, then treatment and be cured. When the cancer is caught in the early stages you have a better chance of beating it. That is why it is important to go for the follow-up tests.

    I had cervical cancer in 1978, had surgery and have been free of that cancer since then. Also had ovarian cancer, caught very early and it's been almost five years since I had surgery and have not had any problems with that either. Since it was caught early, I do not worry too much about that otherwise I wouldn't have peace.

    It is possible to be cured of cancer and not have cancer for the rest of your life.

    Hope this helped you.
    Take care.