Low Grade MEC, long term survival rate

3mpire
3mpire Member Posts: 10
edited February 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hi,

Is there any evidence about long term survival of low grade MEC? I have looked online and most reports are about 5 or 10 years, but is there documented eveidence that people survive say 20 or 30 years without recurrence.

Thanks,

Comments

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #2
    Hi 3

    I am NPC and was told that people like me when it comes back a 2nd time are only giving a few years. My NPC came back a 3rd time and I was giving 6 months to a year at best. That was in 2006 and I am still here today and working full time as a maintenance manager. A lot depends on you, how you take care of your body and how the treatment has effect you. Keep positive and keep focus on living and enjoying life every day, and don’t forget to thank God for His blessing.

     

    Hondo

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #3
    i don't know about mec as my

    i don't know about mec as my cancer was of the larynx but there are several here who have faught mec.  i'm sure they will chime in as soon as they see your post.  i would concentrate on enjoying life not worrying about how long life will be.  you could have a heart attack and die tomorrow so why waste time.  Live life like a survivor and enjoy!!

    God bless,

    dj

  • 3mpire
    3mpire Member Posts: 10
    #4
    Thank you so much for all the

    Thank you so much for all the support :)

  • kimnavarette
    kimnavarette Member Posts: 19
    #5
    Interesting question

    As the mom of a recently diagnosed 10 year old, my interest is not in 5 or 10 year survival rates!! I want 50 and 75 year survival rates! My son was originally diagnosed as high grade, stage 3 MEC. That has since been changed by new reading to mid grade, stage 3.  We have been told the 5/10 year rates. I have never seen rates longer than that in any of our research.

     

    If you do find any info please share in here, if you don't mind. I would really love to see anything you find!

     

    Thanks!

    Kim

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    #6
    kimnavarette said:

    Interesting question

    As the mom of a recently diagnosed 10 year old, my interest is not in 5 or 10 year survival rates!! I want 50 and 75 year survival rates! My son was originally diagnosed as high grade, stage 3 MEC. That has since been changed by new reading to mid grade, stage 3.  We have been told the 5/10 year rates. I have never seen rates longer than that in any of our research.

     

    If you do find any info please share in here, if you don't mind. I would really love to see anything you find!

     

    Thanks!

    Kim

    General stats

    In general studies do not run longer than 5 years, 10 years much less so, and more than that rarely if at all.

    Spending much time thinking about prognosis and morbity tables generally just creates anxiety and fear of the unknown. The treatments are given to produce the best possible outcomes so worrying about it does not change or help the process along. Easier said than done, of course.

    The five year milestone is generally held to be the point where a cancer is said to be cured if there has been no recurrence. If you do look at morbity tables, you see there is a leveling off in the later years. It seems beyond this milestone other factors influence quality of life and health just as much if not more than the cancer treated years earlier (looking back).

     

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